The Journey of Souls
by ferduran
Summary: Thanks to an accident in the Uzumaki mask Temple, Naruto now is beginning to remember his past lives as Asura, the younger son of the sage of the six paths and Hashirama Senju. Now He will use the memories to guide his training and become the next legend of his era. (Naruto/Hinata/Hanabi)
1. The Journey of Souls 01

**Hello, this is my Naruto fic even if I am a big fan of the series, I got the idea after I saw the anime Seiken Tsukai no World Break that is about how some people there can remember and get the skill and powers of their past lives and the main character can remember more than one, one as a warrior and another one as magician and I ****thought**** what if Naruto could remember his past lives, the ones as Asura and Hashirama. I recommend you see that anime if you want to understand this plot line better. I plan to use different element from the usual ficcs, I also plan to use Itachi in an original way that has not been used yet. About the pairing it will be a Naruto/Hinata/Hanabi. My reason is because Hinata is my favorite and Hanabi was no include in many ficcs and I believe that there are many ficcs that can be used with them.**

**I do not own Naruto and I do this just for fun.**

**Konoha, in an apartment **

There was a young blonde boy, who was wondering why his life was the way it was. How he was ignored and shunned by the villagers, when they thought he couldn't hear they would say harsh and demeaning words. He thought the question a million times, what did I do that would be so horrible that they would treat him like this? His life was very lonely so far and deep down he hoped one day that everything would change for the better.

We find the blonde boy sleeping alone in his dirty room, his bed made from rags. However, he wasn't sleeping peacefully, he started having vivid dreams of battles and a life not his own. Who would ever think that one boy's dream would start a journey that would shake the world. The young blonde boy named Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto Uzumaki, was a young blonde boy with fair skin and blue eyes. His outfit consisting of, a black shirt with red spiral design and brown shirts with blue sandals, was long since worn out. He had three marks resembling whisker marks on each cheek. He was rather short for his age, being three inches shorter than he should be and didn't eat healthy, his diet consisting of mainly ramen.

**Naruto's room. Inside his dream**

'This is strange', thought a Naruto, as he was talking with an old man with gray skin and three eyes. Despite this, he felt safe with the old man; now to others that might seem normal, except that he had never seen this man before. When Naruto looked into the decorative mirror that was placed on the wall he was shocked, the person staring back was not himself, at least not his current self. The person in the mirror was a brown haired tall man wearing a white yukata, now this couldn't be possible since Naruto wasn't older than six years old. Yet somehow the man in the mirror and the old man was talking about something that seemed important, but his younger naive mind did not understand. He was able to pick up on only a few words said, it boiled down to the topic about succession.

Then in a flash everything changed, now he was facing someone that had the same hair color of the person in the mirror from before. However now things were more intense and there was more hate in his eyes than he could imagine. He was inside some giant made of purple flames with swords. His own body, taking the form of the man he saw in the mirror, was standing on the head of a giant wood statue that somehow could move and from what he could see they were preparing to fight. That thought was confirmed when they charged at each other.

**"Nii-san!"**

**"Asura!"**

"**AHHHHHHHHHHH**!" Naruto screamed just having woken up form what looked like a nightmare. He took deep breaths to calm himself as he checked himself over to see if this was really his own body and not the adult from his dreams, it all felt so real.

'Oh, not again...' thought the young boy. These dreams had been happening more often for the last two weeks, ever since that day.

**Flashback**

We see Naruto who was walking to the forest with his head down, once again he had asked some kids if he could play with them. Once again, they had rejected him with the same excuse that they always use and ignore him.

Two years ago, when he first enrolled at the academy, he was hoping that he could made some friends so he wouldn't feel so lonely. Sadly, that didn't happen and the same treatment that he got by the rest of the village also followed him into the class room, he was also ignored by the others. Even after class was over the few classmates that talk to him have to leave with their parent when they came to pick them up.

He was just walking further inside the forest when the view of an old temple attracted his attention, when he got closer he could see the temple was rather dilapidated. He also noticed it had the same symbol that was on the shirt that the old Hokage had given him some time ago. Feeling great curiosity, Naruto went inside the temple and like any kid his age he believed that he had found a secret playground just for him. Going further inside the temple he found a room that had many different masks on the walls.

Like any kid his age he just picked up one of the masks and used it while he began to run inside the rooms pretending that he was a masked ninja. Until he tripped over a piece of wood and fell face first breaking the mask, ending his little game. Holding his tears from the blow, Naruto decided that it was time to return home.

That night Naruto had the first of the dreams where he saw people that seemed familiar, but that he had never seen before. What all the dreams had in common is that each time he saw all the events from the point of view of some else. Yet when he saw a reflection he saw a face that was not his and each night it was some else.

Sometimes, it was the guy with the brown hair, while others was a black haired man with red armor and each time he saw different parts of their life. Their moments of sadness and happiness, their problems and their battles, but more important their beliefs, fighting styles and jutsu.

As much as these dreams distressed the poor young boy, he knew there was nothing he could to do. He decided to try to sleep again, hoping that those strange dreams will stop.

**End Flash back**

It has been a couple weeks since those dreams began. Beside the dreams being entertaining, Naruto didn't know what to think about them.

It was that very morning, that his life began to change, as he got ready to go to the practice ground. Today was a weekend day and he didn't need to go to the academy. Though he still will use all his free time practicing, because he wanted to prove to all the kids in the academy that he isn't a dead last as they made fun of him. More importantly than that he had to prove it to himself, and because he never got any real help from the teachers. He also didn't have anyone that he could ask for help, he has to work so much harder just to be close to the level of the other kids, who had either the support of their families or are really taught by the teachers.

So today, he will be practicing the chakra control exercise that he saw in the academy.

But when he arrives at the training ground, he saw how two people. A genin and a younger boy that looked just like him, who was probably his brother, were already there. And the training that they were doing looked more interesting than the stupid leaf exercise.

He saw how the genin began to climb on one tree but he didn't used his hands! More importantly he was walking just like it was the park walkway. He overheard as the genin then began to talk to his younger brother, about how he should control his chakra and all that boring stuff that was explained in the academy.

After hearing the explanation, Naruto left the place and went somewhere else to try to do just what that genin just did.

So, after he found a secluded place, he looked at the tree in front of him.

"Come on, I can do this, I will be the greatest ninja in history so this should be a piece of cake." he said this as he ran towards the tree and when his foot made contact in the first step and began to rise he believed that he had done it. However, that idea died a second later, when he reached the second step and fell to the ground.

"AHH, it hurts" exclaimed Naruto as he stands up, after he recovered from the hit. He got some distance by running away from the tree, then once again tried to climb the tree and again he failed.

After a couple hours of this, he decided that for today he was done, that he will try again tomorrow. That very night he also has a dream about lessons that he received when he was the kid with brown hair or the black haired one and sometimes lessons that he provides to others.

But this night he dreamed about how that rare old man with gray skin and that strange third eye.

"_Indra, Asura, from this moment I will teach you how to awaken your chakra so you can begin your own path in the art of Ninshu"_

"_What is Ninshu, Otou-san?" asked the boy from the point of view of Naruto._

"_It is my personal philosophy, that this power must be used to help others. Bring unity and to protect the weak, and never to seek conflict, that is my Ninshu."_

"_OK, dad we will show you that we will be the best Ninshu users in the world." _

And soon the lessons began. And Naruto kept dreaming about those lessons.

But this time he wasn't the only one that was looking at those dreams.

"**It can't be possible!**" Kurama said from within his cage, the last few days he had been feeling something that he couldn't understand but for some reason feel familiar. So, he had begun to use what little chakra he could use while still being a prisoner, trying to get whatever information he can. It was in that moment he managed to get in contact with that feeling that he saw the face that he believed he would never see again.

"**Father!**" Kurama exclaimed as he was trying to find an explanation for what he is seeing. **"There is no mistake that is my father, but how does this brat know about him? How if his image was lost centuries ago, so no stupid humans should know how he looks." **

But there was no mistake, he was looking at his father, and he knew because he remembers those memories. However, from his father's point of view because he allowed him and his siblings to see and feel what he felt from the outside world.

"**Wait a minute, point of view!" **that is, everything that he is seeing come from the point of view of that Asura boy. After that it was easy to Kurama to understand what is happening.

"**So, this boy is the reincarnation of Asura, well that is interesting and it could be worse than him. He could be the reincarnation of that insolent brat Indra. I guessed that this makes us family somehow, for the moment it would be for the best that I wait and see what will happen**"

**A few days later.**

"Ok, now let get started!" exclaimed the blond hero as he sees a big tree in front of him, he now knew the instructions to accomplish this exercise that he had seen other kids' practice. With great determination be put one foot on the tree and slowly began to walk up the tree.

_'For some reason this feels natural_,' thought Naruto as he was half way to the top, that's when a new set of images of a gray skinned man with a third eye in the front teaching two boys broke his concentration and made him fall. However, with the new set of images came the instinct to kick the tree to make distance from the tree and turn his body 180 degrees and land on his feet.

"What is happening to me?" Naruto said as he put his hands over his eyes; while he was happy the he was getting stronger he was also afraid, because he didn't know what was happening to him. However, he knew one thing; this was his only chance to become strong. To get out of his situation he had to keep training, and so he stood up and kept training.

**Time skip Academy class room.**

**Hinata POV.**

For the next few weeks the friendship between Naruto and Hinata increase in closeness; thanks to the assistance of teachers no one wanted to get close to them. That was something that didn't bother them as they were used to be marginalized even by the people around them.

It happened in the second month of the current school year after the beginning of the class, and Naruto and Hinata had began to spend all their free time together. Ever since Naruto saved her from those bullies all those years ago, she had always felt bad about how her guardian took her away before she could thank him for his help. Or even check to see if he was fine after the beating that he got from those bullies.

That is why when she saw him in the academy entry ceremony and learned that they will be in the same class she was very happy. She believes that she will have the chance to thank him this time, but her shyness made that impossible for her.

Things became more complicated when she saw how her class mates and teachers treat him. That brought bad memories of how her family treats her, however unlike her, Naruto never allowed himself to give up and pity himself. He always stands back up when people tell him he should stay down. No matter how many times he fails, he always gets back up and keep trying. Ever since she started following him, hoping to find the source of his strength. This was because she was rather shy, much too shy to ask him directly, so this was what she had to do for now.

What she saw impressed her, as she saw Naruto keep training even after class. Always trying to succeed where he had failed, that is how her following Naruto became a habit in the last year. She noticed that as his skills begun to grow, so did her admiration for Naruto.

Today was no different, he had been practicing the tree climbing chakra exercise again like the last few days, this is something that she knew because it was part of the Hyuga Clan training. In her clan, they were taught chakra control exercises and other techniques from the moment they could walk. So she knew how hard it could be, even more so if you didn't have any help. However, seeing how Naruto managed to improve by his own effort was something amazing to her.

"Oh how I wish that I could be like you Naruto-kun"

It was in that moment when she saw him lose his footing and began to fall, but he instead of falling to the ground clumsily he turned his body 180 degrees midair and landed on his feet.

"Amazing" was all that she could say, when Naruto left, she decided to leave as well.

When she arrived home that night, her father called her useless. He told her guardian whose name is Kurenai. That she could do what she wants with Hinata, that she was too weak to be a clan heiress.

That night she cried alone, she wanted to go to her mother but since her mother was extremely sick, she didn't want to cause her any more trouble.

The next day, she didn't go to the academy and instead she went to Naruto's hidden training spot. The place that Naruto goes and sat under the same tree that he had used to practice the last day. The words of her father and every bad experience that she has been repeated over and over in her head. She didn't know how long she had been there or how long had been since the rain began, she just wanted to disappear.

She felt like her life was a pitch black hell and just as she felt the darkness consuming her, at that moment a ray of light and hope arrived.

"Hey you are that girl that sits behind me, Hinata Right?" a familiar voice asked, one that she knew too well.

When her face rose, she saw Naruto right in front of her, he was drenched from the rain. However, she could see that he was looking her over in concern.

"Are you ok? you didn't come to the academy today" Naruto asked his voice carrying his emotions.

"I…I didn't know what to do, I am sorry for taking your training place" Hinata said.

"Forget about that, why you were crying?" Naruto asked, more concerned with why she was crying than her taking up his training ground.

"I want to disappear, maybe if I did that then my family would be happier." Hinata confessed to Naruto.

Naruto looked at her with a serious expression. Then he sat next to her, even though it was raining. For a moment he didn't say anything, he just sat next to her.

"Can you tell me what happened?". Naruto finally asks.

His question surprises Hinata, because no one besides her mother had ever shown any interest in her. Now the boy she admires since he rescued her that day from those three bullies, was concerned for her and even wanted to know about her troubles. So, she began to tell her about the problems that has arisen, from her mother being sick to how the clan treated her. She even told him about how earlier, her father told her that she was useless. She told him everything that had been building up.

After he had just heard her story, he said something that surprised her.

"Then why don't you just show them that they are wrong about you? I know how it feels when the people around you are mean to you and just want you to disappear. You can hope that things will change, but it won't unless you make them change. That is why I train, to change my worth, if the people around you didn't like that then don't pay them any attention. Become the person that you want to be, at least that is the way I see things and am striving for myself." Naruto said, looking at her with determination filling his eyes.

For Hinata, hearing Naruto's words was inspiring and beautiful. The fact that it was Naruto who said it, made them all the more special.

"I think we should find a drier place to continue our conversation, it seems like the storm is getting stronger." Naruto suggested as he stood up and offered his hand to help her stand up. Which Hinata accepted, but she slipped making Naruto fall with her and in the process their lips met, giving each other their first kiss by accident. They remained like that for a few seconds in shock before reacting.

"I am sorry; I didn't mean to do that" Naruto said worrying she would hate him now. Honestly the way he was treated, it wasn't far fetched.

"It is ok, it was my fault in the first place" Hinata said trying her hardest not to faint as she placed her fingers to her lips.

Naruto decided to take her to the old mask temple, where they waited for the rain to stop. While they waited, they kept talking about everything.

For Naruto, this is the first time he has spoken to anyone about the dreams that he had at night and the situation with his life. For Hinata, it was the first time she told anyone else about her lift in the Hyuga Clan, along with her parents. Having a person to tell your problems and understand what you felt began to make big differences in their lives and soon they started to train together.

That day the two became friends and agreed to train together every day that they had free time. Something the other students and the teachers saw. They even tried telling Hinata that she must stay away from that boy, something that she refuses to do. After that they started ignoring her, when Naruto asked her if she was fine with that, she only said, "they never cared for me or were my friends before. So why should I abandon my only true friend to please some strangers?"

It was during this time, training together that Naruto's dreams proved to help tremendously when he saw an adult version of the men with white yukata and red armor teaching people.

"Breathe Hinata-chan, just breathe. Allow your breathing be the same as the trees that are around us, feel the beating of your heart and how it synchronizes with the nature around us. Can you feel it?" Naruto instructed as he repeated the same words that he heard those man said in his dreams.

"Yes, I can feel it" said Hinata, she had been happy when she trained with Naruto. It was the first time she's been truly happy since her mother had gotten sick, she didn't know how to explain it. For some reason everything that Naruto taught her felt right and was easier to understand than all the lessons her father had given her, before he had dismissed her training.

It was like she felt complete after she met him and the feeling that she was having in that moment was so warm that for a few moments she fell sleep. She had a dream about a very strong woman that wears a beautiful white kimono and has beautiful long red hair. She saw that she never gives up, how she was kind with her loved ones and terrible with her enemies, but more than anything how she fought side by side with her husband, a man in red armor that for some reason reminded her of Naruto. They were fighting against a giant fox with many tails.

"Hinata-chan wake up" Naruto said, as he gently shakes her shoulder wake her up.

"Sorry I fell asleep Naruto-kun" Hinata replied, ashamed that she fell asleep in the presence of her friend. When he was trying to help her, something her father stop trying long time ago.

"Don't worry about it, it happened to me a lot with Iruka-sensei's boring classes. I guess I am no better than him, besides it is getting late and you should return to your home soon." Naruto said, glad she was awake.

So the two of them began to walk until the border of the training ground, and even though they were friends Naruto knew the adults didn't like him. If they saw them together they would be rude to Hinata as well, for that reason Naruto would always stop before the entrance so he can leave in the other direction so the villagers wouldn't see them together. Even though Hinata said that she didn't mind, he didn't want to cause problems for his only friend.

"Well I guess that it is everything for today, but we can train here again tomorrow after class if you want" asked Naruto to his friend.

"I would like that" Hinata replied as she began to walk toward her home.

"Wait, before you go, I just happened to find this flower and I want to give it to you, that is if you like?" said Naruto as he shows her a beautiful dark blue orchid. Naruto had heard from some of the girls in the academy that girls like when boys give them flowers as a present. So he wanted to give her something that she will like, even if he didn't understand what made the flowers special. He knew that Hinata is having a bad time at home with her mother being very sick, so he wanted to do something for her.

Hinata for her part was very surprised, because she has never suspected that her best friend would give her this beautiful flower. So she accepted the flower and treasured the beautiful orchid.

"Thank you Naruto-kun, it is beautiful" Hinata said as she thanked her friend, one more time as she began to walk towards her home. While Naruto who now has a big smile on his face, he was happy that Hinata liked the Orchid. He considered that he should spend more time studying plants and flowers so he could find the meaning to the flowers and make his friend happy.

"Look what we have here!" a voice exclaimed behind them, when they turned to see who it was. They recognized the three as the bullies Naruto had saved Hinata from when they had met. However unlike last time when they were all just kids, this time those three were wearing konoha's head band. They were Genin!

"I see that the freaks like to be together" said another of the bullies.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked the three.

"Nothing, we were just taking a walk and saw you two and said, why we don't go and teach those losers a lesson, just like before." The leader said as he smugly smirked.

"Why, we didn't do anything to you!" Naruto demanded

"And who cares about that? It's just because you exist, that is enough reason." the leader answered, as the three of them surrounded Naruto and Hinata.

Seeing that the situation wasn't a good one, Naruto look at Hinata. He turned to her and said, "Hinata-chan, I will try to hold them down, use that chance to escape."

"But what about you!" Hinata asks, concerned over her only friend.

"I will be fine; you just escape when I give you the signal" Naruto answers. He didn't want her to get hurt, he didn't care if they hurt him as long as she was ok.

"NO" said Hinata as she looks at Naruto with a serious look. "I was forced to leave you behind when you saved me last time, because my guardian refuses to help you. I always regretted that and I refuse to abandon you again!" Hinata finishes a fierce look on her face.

Naruto was surprised by Hinata's words, no one has ever said anything like that to him before, it was in that moment he recognized what she was talking about. "So, you were that girl." he said surprised that he had indeed met her again.

"If you losers are done talking, it is time for the fun" said the leader as he ran towards Naruto and hit him in the face.

Naruto fell on the ground hard as he tried to stand up. But the difference between him and a genin was too big.

"Naruto-kun!" exclaimed Hinata as she runs towards Naruto to help him. It is in that moment that one of the bullies hit her from behind and made her fell as well.

"Hinata!" Naruto hurries to stand up to help her only to be hit again and fell next to Hinata.

"For a moment I believed that you would give us more fun than this, but in the end, you are only a couple of losers" said the leader as he kicks Naruto in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"Leave him alone!" said Hinata as she tries to help Naruto only to receive a kick in the face and fell once again with tears coming from her eyes

"Stay down you white-eyed freak".

But then something happened when Naruto saw Hinata getting hurt. A feeling of a fire that was born deep inside his soul. It was in that moment that some of those images appeared once again in his mind.

_Naruto's mind_

_Again, it was the man with red armor and he was looking at how three genins were fighting two vs one. It wasn't long before the boy that was fighting alone was hit and fell to the ground._

"_Again" said the man in red armor with a big smile._

"_But Hashirama-sensei this is not fair! It is two vs one!"_

"_Weren't you the one that said that you could defeat an army alone, Hiruzen?" asked the girl of the group._

"_That is true" said a boy that was using glasses._

"_Hiruzen, you need to understand that real fights are never fair, you can't expect that your enemies will want to face you in a one vs one battle. They will want to have the advantage in the same way that you need to always look to have the advantage in a fight, that is why we train to fight in this circumstances"_

"_But how can I win when I am facing multiple enemies?" asked the boy named Hiruzen._

"_You turn the fight from one vs many to a one vs one, by making sure that each time you hit the enemy that he stays down and never allow them to use their numbers to surround you" explained Hashirama, the man in red armor._

"_But how can I do that?" asked Hiruzen_

"_I will teach you how and believe it or not the key is to have a good foot work" Hashirama said smiling at his young pupil._

Back to the present

All those memories that felt like hours, were no more than a couple of seconds in the real world. But this time, Naruto has a look in his eyes that shows that something was different.

"**I remember**" Naruto said as he stands up in a jump and put himself in an angle where two of the bullies were in a line.

"So, you want more?" said the leader as he got ready to kick Naruto again but this time it was different.

Because this time he saw how that bully raised his pants a little in the right leg, somehow knowing that he will be using that leg to kick him in the next second. So he anticipates that move and using his left foot he blocks that attack and in a bike move using the energy of the move he kick the bully right between the legs.

"UGHHH!" the bully groaned as he was about to fall on his knees only to meet Naruto's elbow in the face. With that final attack he was out of combat.

Naruto took advantage of the surprise and moved towards the boy that was behind the leader. The bully was surprised, but when he saw how the boy that they were bulling was getting closer he regained his nerve. So he tried to punch him in the face, but the blond boy used his right hand to redirect that punch to the other side leaving him open to an attack. An opportunity that Naruto took and with his left hand punch him in the solar plexus, driving the air from him.

Now there was only one bully left, but that bully was the one that had hurt Hinata and he will pay for that.

The last bully seeing he was the last one standing, tried to escape. However, Naruto picked up a rock and he launched it and the rock hit the last bully in the leg, making him fall. He tried to stand up, but this time he could feel Naruto's foot on his back making pressure.

"You like to hit girls on the faces, don't you?" asked Naruto as he moves in front of him. "But when you face someone in a one on one fight you run like a coward, maybe what you need to know what it feels like, so you never do the same again." Naruto said and then he kicked him in the face which broke his nose.

"We'll tell everybody about this" said the leader as he was beginning to recover.

"That three new genin lost against a second year academy student, and that you also attacked the Hyuga clan head's daughter? Please be my guest, now if you do not have anything else to do. Remember this and leave us alone because the next time, I will get serious." Naruto said glaring at the downed bullies.

The three bullies saw that they couldn't win this and chose to leave as Naruto walked towards where Hinata was on the ground, where she saw everything.

"Hinata-chan" said Naruto as he kneels in front of her and rises his hand and touched the part of her lip that was cut and was bleeding from the kick that she received. But when the moment he touched her, green chakra came from his hand, healing her in the moment.

"I am sorry; this always happen to me when the villagers blame me for anything. I am use to this, but I do not want you to get hurt because of me. I believe that it would be for the best if I stay away from you." Naruto said and inside he felt like he was dying. He didn't want to lose his only friend, but he knew it was for the best. After all, if he remained around her, she would get hurt and it would be his fault. He definitely did not want that.

And with that Naruto stood up and turned around to leave that place trying to hold back his tears. About how he would have to leave his only friend in order to protect her. But them she holds his hand.

"Please don't leave" Hinata pleads.

"But if we remain friends, things like this may happen again and I do not want to see you get hurt because of me" Naruto rebuts.

"I don't care, you are my only friend and I do not want to lose you. I know that I am weak but I promise that I will become stronger so you do not have to worry about me, just please do not leave me" begged Hinata with tears in her eyes.

For some reason the seeing Hinata's tears was something that he couldn't take and had to do something about that.

"Are you sure that you will not regret this?" He asked, trying to give her an out. Part of him wishing she would leave, but another part of him wanted her to remain.

"Never, I told you before I will never abandon you" Hinata answers firmly.

At those words Naruto smiles because he knew that Hinata was a true friend, a friend that he will treasure always.

"Ok, we better keep going or you will worry your mom" Naruto said.

"By the way, when did you learned medic ninjutsu?" Hinata asked curiously.

"About that, I don't know how to explain it, do you remember the dreams that I told you about?"

And with that the two of them leave the training area.


	2. The Journey of Souls 02

**Note: in this fic, Hanabi is only one year younger than Hinata.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**I want to thanks Nevetx for been the Beta of these chapters. **

**Also as the story advance I plant to use originals ideas that I have not seen before on ficc.**

**I also have others crazy projects and ideas on my profile if you want to take a look. **

It was afternoon and we find a young girl walking alone towards the Hyuga complex. She had a thoughtful expression that would look strange on someone so young. The young girl had lavender pupiless eyes, long brown hair, and a fair complexion. This girl's name was Hanabi Hyuga.

Hanabi Hyuga is a prodigy of the Hyuga Clan's main house, one that some of the Hyuga elders hoped would one day surpass Neji Hyuga of the branch house.

All the clan expects great things for her, but does Hanabi want? That is something even she did not know.

Her beloved older sister Hinata was always so kind to her, even after the fight for succession of the clan. She always took time to have fun with her and even spent time with their sick mother and made her smile, despite feeling so ill.

Unfortunately, since that fight their father forced them to have, she didn't know how to face Hinata again. She felt she stole her place in the clan and her destiny. At least that is how she feels, and now she is afraid that her sister hates her and for that reason it was hard to be close to her.

For that reason, she tries to avoid her sister, with the exception of when they see their mother. Then they try to show their mother that they are happy, if only to make their mother happy. After that she could see how sad her sister was and how bad the other members of the clan treated her. She hated herself for being too afraid to talk to her sister again, to be close like they use to be.

In the last few months, however she had changed. She has more energy and is more active, not only that but there is a light in her eyes that showed how her older sister was doing just fine and how happy she was. She was, just like she used to be. No, that wasn't quite right, she looked a lot better than before, but she wondered why and what changed?

Don't get her wrong, she was happy to see that her sister is doing fine, but at the same time she was curious. Mostly because that change happened too soon and her young mind couldn't understand what could have happened. Now that the academy is on holidays, she was hoping that maybe this time she could finally get the courage to talk with her, but her sister always leaves the clan complex early and returns late afternoon. When she returned she always looked tired, but happy.

Something good must have happened to her and she wanted to know what it was. She was hoping that maybe that would help restore their relationship as to what it used to be and still should be. She was however afraid, much too afraid to ask. So she did the only thing that she could do, one day that she didn't have training with her father that morning she followed her sister. What she saw surprised her more than anything had before.

She follows Hinata to a training ground in the farther part of the park where Hinata meets a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. She remembers seeing the boy on the streets with the other villagers glaring at him, she also remembered how her guardian told her to always stay away from him.

But now her beloved sister was not only in that boy's company, but she was smiling a large beaming smiling that the boy returned. They sat in front of each other in a meditation pose, and because of the distance and she didn't want to reveal her location she couldn't hear what they were saying. They remained like that for a while and when Hanabi was about to leave, she saw them stand up. After a few moments of stretching and warming up, the two got in their stances. It was obvious that they were about to spar with each other.

She was surprised at the level of skill and power her sister was showing, Hanabi thought that those attacks and form was of the same level of their cousin Neji. The way she attacks the blonde and how she avoids and blocks his attacks, it was amazing. Both of them were simply so amazing.

After a while she saw how Hinata managed to kick the boy in the stomach, winning the spar. But that match only made her wonder, 'If Hinata-oneesan is this strong, then why did she lose the day of the duel?'

That was the only thought that occupied her young mind as she walked home. She would have liked to stay longer, but that was impossible as she needed to head home for her afternoon training session. She knew she would have to either further spy on them or ask her sister up front, she did not know what she should do.

**Back with Naruto and Hinata, at the beginning of their day.**

For Hinata this day promises to be a good one, after all it will be the first day in the midterm holidays. That means that she will be spending every day beginning to end with Naruto. She didn't bother to explain where she would be to her clan, because they never ask for her. However, she always made sure that she would be back home to have tea with her mother and sister, that tea time was something that was special between them.

She leaves the complex and in a few moments she was already in their training ground, Naruto was there already and was waiting for her.

"Hi Hinata-chan, are you ready for today training?" Naruto asked smiling at her.

"Good morning Naruto-kun, and of course" Hinata replies smiling back.

"Great, now let's begin as always." Naruto said as he sits down in a lotus poise with Hinata doing the same.

"Do you remember what we had talked about in our last training?" He asked.

"About chakra being everywhere?" Hinata replies.

"Yes, chakra exists everywhere in this world connecting all living things, that is why it should be possible to connect each other's chakra, but to do that we first need to master our own chakra." Naruto explained, confusing Hinata.

"That sounds different from what Iruka-sensei told us." Hinata said, wondering what he was talking about.

"I know, but that is what that strange man from my dreams was telling those kids, to be honest, I don't fully understand it myself. However, so far the things that I have learned in those dreams hadn't failed me." Naruto replied.

Hinata only nodded, normally if someone would tell her that they were learning from strange people that show up in their dreams she wouldn't believe it. Since it was Naruto-kun however, that is different because that is the only way that she could explain not only his fast advancement in training. But also how he knew how to teach and train others.

"Now let's begin our training for today. We should try to strengthen our chakra, but at the same time try to feel the chakra that is already around you." Naruto instructed

"Yes, Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed and began to focus.

"Focus on your chakra, a little at first just like the fire from a match, and then let it grow inside you, can you feel it?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Hinata replied.

"Now while keeping that fire inside you, try to feel the chakra around you and then lead it towards the chakra that is inside you and allow it grown inside you." He further instructed.

"It is too difficult to do." Hinata said after trying his suggestion.

"I know, but even if it is too hard, we must begin somewhere and then advance one step at the time. But you know what? Even if it takes us years to do that, we will be doing it together." Naruto reassured.

The two friends continue doing that exercise for an hour and then they move to the next part of their training, sparring.

As the two of them got ready and then began to train, Naruto noted something.

"Hinata, are you holding back again?" Naruto questioned, but it carried an undertone of being an accusation.

Hinata just remained in silent, giving it away since she couldn't lie.

"Hinata you can't keep doing that." Naruto said in exasperation.

"But I do not want to hurt anyone." Hinata explained, trying to defend her actions.

"I know, but you will hurt them even more if you hold back." He reasoned.

Hinata now has a concerned look on her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked, trying to figure out whether or not she's been unintentionally hurting those close to her.

"Hinata, tell me how you would feel if I hold back while we are sparring?" Naruto asked, and the look on Hinata face when she looks down was all the answer that Naruto needs. He continued his explanation by saying, "Hinata if we hold back we will be stopping the growth and improvement of our sparring partners and ourselves. We are training to be ninjas, it will be a cruel world and our best hope to survive is to get better every day. To do that we must give our best in every training session, not only for ourselves but for the friends that are training with us."

Hinata was amazed with Naruto's personality, one moment he was a funny kid with lots of energy, and the next moment he shows a maturity beyond the adults that she knows. Only to return to being the same boy that has become her first real friend.

"Even if we get hurt, we will get better in a little while and stronger in the long run. So Hinata if you really care about me, come at me with everything that you got and then try to break that limit." Naruto finished, he could see that she was thinking about and considering his words.

"But what if I am not strong enough, just as my clan said?" Hinata asked him sadly.

"You must stop worrying about being exactly what your clan wants you to be, and begin to focus on what you can be by yourself. I am sure that you will be even more amazing than what you would ever dream, just believe in yourself because I sure believe in you." Naruto replied, trying to alleviate her stress and sadness.

Hearing his words, Hinata blushed a little, but them with a determined look in her eyes she got ready.

"Byakugan!" Hinata said with confidence and then asked, "Are you ready Naruto-kun?"

"I born ready!" Naruto exclaimed before getting in his starting position.

With that they once again begin to spar. With each movement Hinata's stance began to change, you could still see the traditional Hyuga Jyuken stance when it hit, but Hinata's version is more relaxed and agile. She no longer seemed to care about keeping the image that her clan expected her to keep. In doing so, she began to release her instincts and relied on them. In doing so, her movements had become faster and faster each second, until she finally lands a kick on Naruto's stomach that sent him flying and he landed on his back. For a moment she was scared that she may have hurt him and now hated her.

"Whoa, that was amazing Hinata-chan! I knew that you were super strong, but not that you were to this level" Naruto excitedly said with a smile on his face as he stands up. He continued by saying, "I guess that now I need to improve my Taijutsu, if I want to be a good sparring partner for you. By the way what were those moves that you did?"

"You are already an amazing sparring partner Naruto-kun and to be honest I didn't know; I just let myself go and relied on my instincts." Hinata explained, thinking about what just happened when she finally let go.

"Well you should do it more often and not only in your ninja training. Do it in everything because this free Hinata is amazing!" Naruto said, clearly excited and wanting to see what this version of his best friend would be like, what she could do.

Those words made their way right to Hinata's soul, no one has ever motivated her and encourage her as Naruto did. It also helped to know that she will not be looked down for just being herself, made her see herself in a new light.

"Are you ready for round two?" Naruto asked, getting back in position.

"Yes Naruto-kun" Hinata replied doing the same.

And so, they began the second round, and then a third one and a fourth one, all of them with Hinata winning, that as they continue to spar got she more confident. Naruto for his part, each time that he fell a new set of memories flashed before his eyes showing new forms and moves. However just because he could see them, it didn't mean that he could master them in the moment. Still he was getting better at passing each moment while they sparred.

At noon they took their lunch and talked about everything and nothing at all, just enjoying the moment. After that, they keep practicing for a few more hours until it was time for Hinata to return to the clan complex.

"I have to go now; my mom must be waiting for me" Hinata said, feeling tired and a bit sad to leave.

"Well, I will see you tomorrow Hinata-chan." Naruto replied, a bit sad that she's leaving. However, he understood and knew he would see her tomorrow.

"But before I leave, I have to give you something." Hinata said, as she took a packet from her backpack. When Naruto saw what it is, he rose his eyebrow in confusion.

"A book?" Naruto asked curiously

"Yes, is the academy text book that we need to have to do our middle term holiday homework. You said that you don't have one." She explained and hoping he would take it.

"yes, I tried to get it, but it was to expensive, and the old lady of the library always said that all the copies are borrowed" Naruto explained after he realized what she meant.

"But this is just an academy book, it shouldn't be that expensive" Hinata replied, not understanding why it would be expensive.

"That is what they told me, but are you sure that you can lend me this book, won't you get in trouble because of that?" Naruto asked, not wanting his friend to get in trouble.

"That is ok, there are many like that one in the clan library and you need it to do the assignment on the Hokages." she reassured, after hearing this Naruto went silent for a moment while he was thinking.

"Thanks a lot, Hinata-chan and do not worry I promise that I will return this book in the same state that you give it to me." Naruto said and with that they said their goodbyes and then went their separate ways.

**With Hinata**

When Hinata arrived at her clan's complex, she took a quick shower and moved to her mother's room. Where she will have tea with her mother and sister, like they always do.

"Mother, can I come in?" Hinata asked.

"Of course honey" A gentle voice said from inside.

When she entered, she saw that her sister Hanabi already was there, sitting in from of her mother with the private nurse that is always behind her mother.

"How was your day honey?" Her mother asked smiling at her oldest daughter.

"It was fine Oka-sama." Hinata replied taking her seat.

"Oh, I had told you that you do not need to be formal when we are alone honey." Her mother said.

"Yes, mother" Hinata replied.

"You know that Hanabi and I were talking about what we could do during these holidays; I am sorry that because of my state we can't go to any place to have a vacation trip." Her mother says feeling guilty.

"Do not worry about that mom, we like to be with you even like this" said Hanabi.

"But I feel that I am letting you down." Their mother once again says guilt filling her.

"You will never let us down, mother no matter what happens we will always be happy to be with you." Hinata reassured.

Her mother took that moment to see her older child with a smile.

"You have changed and in a good way, I wonder what the is the cause of that change, did something good happened to you?" Her mother asks.

At those words Hinata remained silent, wondering if she should tell her the truth.

"Could it be that you meet someone?" Her mother asks

Hinata began to blush, giving it away.

"Would that person be a boy?" Her mother continues

Now Hinata faces was a deep red and she began to play with her fingers. Her mother smiled at her reaction.

"I have a great idea; why don't you introduce me to your friend?" Her mother asked

"But mom the rules about visitors say that .." Hinata replies, but…

"Don't worry about that, I will have Naomi-chan here make sure that he has no problem getting in" Her mother interrupts.

"Are you sure mom?" Hinata asks, feeling nervous about all this.

"Of course, I want to meet my little princess' friend, tell you what, why don't you bring him here tomorrow when you get home so he can join us." Her mother answered smiling at her daughter.

Hinata was worried, because even if she knew that her mother wouldn't have any problem with Naruto-kun's presence, she knew that the rest of the clan will not be happy. Then again, she couldn't say no to her mom's request, she probably wouldn't be allowed to see her best friend again in that case.

"I will invite him tomorrow" Hinata said in resignation, knowing there was no way to prevent or escape this.

"That is great, I will have all your favorites snacks waiting for you" her mother said excitedly.

And so, they keep taking for an hour but then their time together ended.

"Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama, I am afraid that it is time for Akane-sama's medicine, then and she needs to rest" Naomi said.

After they exchanged goodbyes, they leave their mother room.

"Hinata-oneechan?" Hanabi asked after they leave the room.

"Yes Hanabi-chan?" Hinata asked in surprise that her sister is talking to her like she used to.

"I just want to say that you look great lately" Hanabi said as she quickly speeds up in the other direction leaving Hinata wondering what just happened.

**Back in their mother's (Akane's) room**

"Are you sure that it is a good idea, Akane-sama, to bring an outsider to the clan complex?" Naomi asked

"It is just a kid, but more importantly. You were with me when the doctor gives me my last test results weren't you?" Akane replied

Naomi lower her face and nodded a little.

"I am living on borrowed time and I could leave this world at any moment. Before that happens I want to do things that a mother is supposed to do, in especially with the boy that is helping my little girl when I can't do anything" Akane explained sadly.

"I understand, but wouldn't it be better to spend your time alone with Hyashi-sama and the girls?" Naomi asks

"He is afraid, afraid about what is happening to me and for that fear he is making terrible mistakes. However unfortunately, I no longer have the strength to help him overcome this." Akane morosely says, wishing she could do more for her family.

**In Naruto apartments.**

Naruto has finished preparing his instant ramen cup he is having for dinner. He was tired after today's training and he just wanted to finish that boring homework, so he can return that book as soon as he can. He was sure that he could do it all in one night, after all how hard can it be to do a stupid report about the previous Hokages?

He sits in front of his old table and opened the book. To see the same pictures that Iruka-sensei used to give his class.

He began with the Fourth Hokage, ever since he saw his picture he realized that they looked alike. He began to wonder if maybe he was his dad. He knew that all the orphan kids dream that their parents were famous heroes or that they were in a far away and dangerous mission had to leave them in Konoha. However, if the Four Hokage really was his father, it would mean that he can't be with him like all the other fathers with their kids because he died as a hero saving the village. That all the things that he had been hearing since the orphanage about how his parents were monsters that abandoned him and criminals and many others mean things were just lies. So gathering his will he raised his hand and asked Iruka-sensei if the four Hokage was married or in a relationship with someone or even had a child.

He knew that some parents have kids without being married, also hoping to learn more about him and maybe learn if there was a woman that could be his mom. But the answer that he got broke that dream. "As far as I know he was married but his wife died in the Kyubi attack along with many others, but he never has the chance to have a child." Iruka had answered his question.

Of course, he doesn't, and he feel so stupid to have that little ray of hope. He knew from the beginning that that was impossible, because if he really was a Hokage son, even as an orphan the villagers wouldn't have treated him the way they did.

He moved to the next page and he saw the old Hokage, he already knew him because from time to time he came to give him some money. He read some more stuff about him, before he moves to the next page and that is when the things began to get weird.

Once he saw the face of the second Hokage, Naruto felt a sense of déjà vu. "That face, I have seen it before, but where?" Naruto keeps reading about him, his achievements and with each thing that he read the déjà vu that he has got stronger. But when he read that he was the younger brother of the first Hokage he jumped to that page. What he saw froze him in his spot.

"It can't be!" Naruto exclaimed when he saw the picture of the first Hokage he immediately recognizes him as one of the people that he saw in his dreams. Then he realizes that is why he recognized the second Hokage, he was with the first Hokage in those dreams!

So far, he didn't know what to think about those dreams because he didn't know who those peoples were. However, now he had recognized one of them and it was the first Hokage! He didn't understand how that was possible, but in that moment, that didn't matter. What mattered is that somehow he was seeing the first Hokage, on his way to become a legend and if he paid more attention he could turn out to be as amazing as he was. That night he read all that he could about Hashirama Senju.

Oh man he can't wait to tell Hinata about that.

**The next morning.**

Naruto got early to the training ground, he could hardly keep his excitement in check. Last night he read all that the book had about the first Hokage. Which included his battles, victories, hardships, just everything the book could offer him.

He was deeply impressed by the man. Though more important is that he read that he had a unique power, the wood release Mokuton.

At first, he didn't understand what was so great about making trees grow and controlling the wood, but when he read the things that he could do with the wood, he was impressed.

Now all that he need to do is learn who is the other guy that appears in his dreams. That is why he wanted to talk with Hinata, maybe she could lend him another book that has pictures of legendary ninjas and who knows, maybe that other guy will be one of them.

So, while he was waiting for Hinata he took one of the seeds that he found on his way here and began to focus on it, but to his disappointment nothing happened.

"Ah man, how he could do all what book said he could do?" Naruto asked himself, as he tries again with the same result. After a few more tries he chose to try to add some chakra but still nothing happened.

"What are you doing Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked from behind him.

"AHHH, you scare me Hinata-chan!" Naruto exclaimed while trying to calm his heart rate.

"Sorry, but I was calling you and you didn't respond me. Any way what you were doing that you hear me?" Hinata replied

"You won't believe what I find out last night thanks to you" Naruto said excitedly.

And so, Naruto told her what he learned the last night.

Hanabi has the day off, as her father must attend some clan's business all day, lately he had been busy all the time.

For a moment she thought about following her sister one more time, but she decided against that, she didn't know what to think about what she saw yesterday.

'Hinata-oneesan was amazing, but why did she lose against me if she was this strong? Could it be that she lets me win?' thought Hanabi, not liking the felling that she has in her belly when she considered that possibility.

'Or it could be that that blond boy did something to help her become this strong? AHH I can't get it what is happening!' She continued thinking, she was getting frustrated by this situation as well as the fact that she didn't know what to think.

**Later**

The day has advanced and now it was time for Hinata to return home. However, this time, she wasn't alone and looks nervous.

"Are you sure that they will let me in?" Naruto asked feeling anxious

"My mom said that she will make sure that there will be no problem." Hinata replied as they walk to the compound.

"But what about the rest of your clan? You know that the adults don't like me" Naruto asked, he was deeply worried about how this could turn out.

"They will not defy my mom orders." Hinata simply answered in a matter of fact tone.

"But they still will not like me…" Naruto says sadly.

Hinata remained silent, knowing that what Naruto said was true.

"But I was really surprised when you told me that one of the men in your dreams is the first Hokage." Hinata said trying to change the topic.

"I know, I mean I never even knew that he was a Hokage until I saw his picture in that book, but it was him from when he was a kid all the way to his days as an adult." Naruto replied, remembering what he read and how surprised he was.

"But how is that you see him in your dreams?" Hinata asked, when Naruto told her that one of the men that he had been seeing in his dreams was the first Hokage. She believed him, not because of their friendship or loyalty to him, but because she just felt it was true.

"I don't know, I only have those dreams when I am sleeping. Oh, and remember that time with those bullies? When the leader hit me, I saw the first Hokage teaching some kids some of his moves, and somehow I feel that I could do it" Naruto answered.

"That is amazing, Naruto-kun" Hinata said in awe of her best friend.

And so they kept talking until they were in front of the Hyuga complex, Naruto looks nervously to the two guards. Who were looking at him with a cold look in their eyes, but said nothing as Naomi showed up, she also looks at Naruto with that same look. She didn't say anything as she leads them to the room where Hinata's mother and sister were waiting for them.

"Hello, nice to meet you young man. I am Hinata's mom, Akane Hyuga and this is my younger child Hanabi." Akane said from her wheelchair.

"N-nice to meet you" Naruto nervously said, he never liked to be close to adults, they are always mean to him.

"Oh, you don't have to be so nervous, after all I was the one that one that wanted to meet Hinata's friend" Akane tried to soothe the boy.

"Why?" He replied, trying to understand. No one wanted to meet him, so why did she?

"I suppose it's just natural for a parent to want to meet their kids' friends." Akane answered

"I don't have parents, so I wouldn't know" Naruto replied in a sad tone.

That answer made Akane, Hanabi and ever Hinata feel bad for him.

"I just wanted to thank the boy that is making my little Hinata happier in these days" Akane said after a moment.

"Mom" Hinata said while blushing.

"It is ok honey, I am just complimenting him." Akane said with a tired smile.

"Mom, are you ok? You look tired" Hanabi asked concerned.

"I am fine honey, just a little tired" Akane answered her youngest daughter.

"Maybe I should leave so you can rest?" Naruto offered, he was nervous to be in this situation and had no clue what to say or do.

"Don't worry, beside I am curious about you and want to learn more about you." Akane denied and so, Akane began to ask little questions like how they met, for how long have they been friends and what they do when they are together. The normal kinds of stuff that a mother would ask.

All this was a new experience for Naruto, that an adult would talk to him without calling him demon and try to keep their children away from him. But there was something wrong, because even he could see that Hinata's mom didn't look to well.

"Naruto, I want to thank you for being Hinata's friend and I hope that your friendship can continue for many years, because I can see how happy and strong, she has been since she met you." Akane said tiredly.

"That will be no problem, because Hinata-chan is my best friend and we will always be together and will help each other with anything that may happen." Naruto replies though he was concerned.

"Akane-sama I am afraid that is time for your treatment" Naomi said.

"It is a shame, I really wanted to keep talking with you but I have to leave now. Please enjoy the candies and feel free to .." that was all that Akane could say as she collapses to the floor as she lost t conscienceless.

"MOM"

"MOMMY"

Were the screams of Hinata and Hanabi, but her mother didn't respond.

"I will get help, you stay here!" Naomi ordered after she confirm that her mistress was still breathing.

"Mommy please wake up!" Hanabi said with tears in her eyes.

"Mom, please mom open your eyes" added Hinata also crying as she saw how the pale face of her mother didn't react and she began to feel the fear grown in her heart.

All this was happening while Naruto was watching the events that happening before his eyes. All this had begun with nice talk with Hinata's mom and for the first time he wasn't hated by an adult. Because he tried to be friends with their child. Hinata's mom looks to be as nice and gentle as Hinata and now something terrible happened and he didn't know what to do.

The fear and tears in Hinata's eyes hurt him like nothing that has hurt him before.

"Damn, if only there was something that I could do" Naruto said in low voice. Then an idea hit him and he thought, 'Wait, that day with the bullies I manage to cure the injury on Hinata-chan's face, maybe I can do it again'

With that idea in mind, Naruto kneels next to Akane and took her hand and began to focus chakra into it. After the event with the bullies, Hinata had told him that what he did was medic ninjutsu and that used chakra. So far, he tried to do it again many times, but always failed.

"Please lest this work, please lest this work, please lest this work," Naruto chanted in his mind.

"What are you doing to my mom!" Hanabi demanded as she moves to stop him, but she was stopped by her sister. "Onee-san!"

"He is trying to help our mom, please give him this chance" Hinata said. "Please Naruto-kun, I believe in you" Hinata pleaded as the blue shine of Naruto's chakra began to grow but after a few moments began to lose power.

"Damn, why I can't do it? Am I really this useless? Hinata-chan will lose her mom because I can't do anything right…no…not yet." Naruto said as he began to put more power into his efforts. He wasn't going to fail this time, he would save her!

**Inside Naruto's seal**

The wave of emotions woke Kurama from his nap. After seeing what had just happened from Naruto's perspective he smiles.

"**Interesting, it looks that the story is repeating itself. If the story that Ashura told our father about how he met his wife is true, but this brat doesn't have the power help her."** Kurama said as he saw his cage.

"**This seal is made so that if I have evil intentions towards this brat it will cut the connection. However, if I do not have those intentions it should be possible for me to send him some of my chakra. Normally I wouldn't care what happened to those humans, but if he is really Ashura's reincarnation I guess that we are related and share a bond with the old man. And maybe, just maybe he could be the one that father told us about before he dies" **Kurama concluded

**Back with Naruto.**

Naruto's chakra was about to fade.

"I guess that I am truly useless." Naruto said in despair as he felt that he no longer has the strength to keep trying. In that moment he turns to see Hinata, he was about to said that he was sorry that he couldn't do anything, but in the moment that he saw her and how her tears were falling from her face. Something happened.

In a blink of the eye Naruto was no longer in that room in the Hyuga complex. He was on a road deep in a forest, but he wasn't alone there were other people there and in the middle of that group it was him, the other man that also appears in his dream with the first Hokage, from there many more images began to show up, the problems that these people have, the danger of their situations, and then he saw her. A young woman that begged him to save her mother. And just as they began the images leave Naruto that now was looking at Hinata's pearl like eyes and said."**I remember**"

Right after he said that the chakra in his hands began grown again as it changes color from blue to a light golden color as Naruto put more efforts in what he was doing.

It was in that moment that the servants began to arrive to help Akane and stood frozen when they saw what was happening.

"What are you doing to Akane-sama you demon brat!" said one of the servants as he steps forward to kick Naruto out of that room.

"NOOO!" exclaimed Hinata as she moves between the servant and Naruto who was too focus on helping her mom, to know what is happening around him.

"Hinata-sama. Please get out of the way, we need to remove that demon so we can help your mother!" The servant pleaded with the girl.

"NO! He is not a demon, he is my friend and, right now, he is helping my mom!" Hinata yelled standing firm.

"He is just a useless brat and we are wasting time here, now please move or I will be forced to made you move" The servant demanded, losing his patience.

"He is not useless, and I will not move from here!" Hinata declared as she activates her byakugan.

"So be it, I will explain this to Hiashi-sama later" said the man as he advances to remove Hinata and Naruto out of the room.

That man wasn't expecting too much resistance from Hinata, the weak child of the clan head that everybody believed that she would be sealed when she comes of age. That impression ended when he felt a powerful strike right to his stomach, unlike anything that he has ever felt, not even in the last war. He looks down to see how Hinata arm is making impact with him, just before he is sent flying against the wall that is behind him and hit some of the others servants that were behind him.

"No one will stop Naruto-kun, right now he is the only one that can save my mom and I will protect him!" Hinata said as she took a battle stance.

It was in that moment that something happened, when a soft voice come from behind her.

"What is happening?" Akane asked as she began to wake up as if from a deep sleep.

"MOM" said Hinata and Hanabi as they move towards their mother that was trying to get up.

"What happened? Why I am on the floor?" Akane asked, not yet understanding what has happened.

"Akane-sama, please don't push yourself." Naomi said, she had managed to avoid the servants that Hinata had strike.

"I am fine, or at less I feel far better than before" Akane said as she tries to get up to a sitting position. when they saw that she was getting some troubles for that, Naomi helped her.

"What happened?" Akane asked

"You fainted mom and while Naomi-san went to get some help, Naruto-kun helped you" answered Hinata, that was kneeling next to her mom with Hanabi at her side.

After saying that she turned to see her friend, who remained still in the same place when he began to help her mother, but with his face low.

"Naruto-kun, thank you for helping my mom" Hinata said, but for some reason Naruto didn't respond to her words. "Naruto?"

Hinata got close and when she touches his should to see what is happening, Naruto fell unconscious.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaims, worried for him.

The people gathered there began to react and the chaos began again.

Hiashi was running as fast as he could with a feeling of fear growing deep inside him as he gets close to his home.

The reason for that is the message that a servant has managed to get to him when he was in a council meeting.

"Akane-sama has collapsed, it looks serious you must return to the complex!" said the servant and in the next second he was running as fast as he can towards his home.

He didn't bother to stop to ask what is happening to the guards and headed to the medical wing of the clan because he believe that that is where his wife would be, and he was correct.

At the doors of the medical wing he could see some of his clan member gathered outside what must be his wife's room, but soon made room for him to get into the room.

Those last few steps were the longest in his life, where he was waiting to see the dead face of his wife in one of the medical beds. So, taking a deep breath to gather his strength, so he can still keep the dignity that a clan head is supposed to have even in this circumstances. Even if all that he wanted is to cry over the death of his wife, giving a final step he saw..

"Get off me! I already told you that I am fine, so you better go and help the others to take care of Naruto-kun" said a furious Akane.

"Please Akane-sama, the other medic is already looking at the kid and said that he only fainted because of chakra exhaustion." A young nurse tried to argue.

Hiashi, didn't understand what is happening, not only was his wife alive, but she looked a lot better than she did in a long time. Which is strange, because when he saw her before he left in the morning to that meeting. He saw how tired and weak she looked and that hurt him, seeing how his wife who to him was one of the strongest women he has ever seen. That she was being reduced to so a fragile state made him feel even worse, after all it was all his fault that she ended in that situation.

But now even if she was lying down in a nursery bed, he could see the same fire and determination that he remembered when she was younger and was with her friends Kushina and Mikoto.

"What is happening here?" asked Hiashi, who the very second Akane turns to see him, he knew from that look that she isn't happy to see him. He just knew he was in for it.

"Just giving her some instructions so she can take a better care of my guest" The young nurse informed his clan head.

It was just a second after he heard the nurse that he turned to see the other person that is being treated in the nursery. Not only that, but Hinata and Hanabi who were standing in the corner seeing everything.

"What is he doing here?" Hiashi asked coldly

"HE" said Akane with enough strength to make sure that everybody hears her. "Is my guest and not only that, but he got hurt saving my life. I will make sure that he receives the best treatment available." then she turned her eyes towards him. "And you and I are going to have a serious talk about what you had been doing!" She declared towards her husband.

In that moment Hiashi realized something. That not only is his wife going to live, but that she has regained her old fire and that that will be both be good and bad for him.

**That night on Hanabi's room**.

It was late at night, but the young girl couldn't sleep. All the emotions that she has experienced today were so intense that even now she could still feel how her heart was beating like she has been running for hours.

She was still confused about how all this has happened, but she was certain of one thing. The miracle that she had been praying for, has just happened. Many of the adults of the clan believe that she is still a little child, but she knew things. Things that they tried to keep from her, but that she knew.

About how they hoped that she will be the new leader of the clan, how they had been losing prestige, how they saw her sister Hinata, but more than anything to her. How they believe that the clan will change after Akane-sama pass away.

She remembers how hard she cried in her room the night that she heard a couple of maids talking about that, they didn't see her, and she managed to leave to her room without any one seeing the tears in her eyes. Those maids had said that they overheard the doctors of the clan talking. Saying that she can die at any moment and how sad it is seeing her try to be strong and spend as much as time as she can with her children.

After that she tried to be strong for her mom, but as the days pass on and she saw how she got weaker and she feared that the end was close. But she was a Hyuga and she need to be strong in all moment, at least that is what her father told her.

But today everything changed. The boy that her sister has said is her first real friend had done the impossible.

Everything began when her sister brought her friend, Naruto, that is a funny name. Her mother began to talk with him, the kid sure looked nervous, but he didn't see like a bad kid. Then after a while talking and drinking tea. Her mom collapse and from that point everything seemed to move too fast.

She remembers how Naomi ran outside to ask for her, how she froze in the moment, but more important she remember him. Naruto, how he kneeled next to her mother and trying to help her, at first she tried to stop him but her sister prevents her from do it that.

"_I believe in him" _her sister told her; she has never seen her sister so secure of anything. At first it looks like all was for nothing and that her mother would really die.

But after a few minutes something happened as the chakra that Naruto was using began to change to a golden color, that color was something so beautiful that she has never seen before. She remembered how she asked her father, the same day that she activated her Byakugan for the first time, if the chakra that she is seeing could be of others colors besides the blue one that she saw. Her father told her however, that is not possible and the only way that the chakra can change of color is when the shinobi is using a jutsu.

But before her eyes Hinata's friend's chakra was turning to a beautiful golden color. She active her Byakugan and saw that Naruto's chakra network was amazing, some parts of it was blue, then some parts of it was red and in the end, it changed to golden. The arrive of more clan members made her come back to the present. Just to see how her kind sister not only face the clan members, but also hit Taka Hyuga, a veteran of the last war and send him flying against the wall behind him pushing the other two clan members behind him.

Before anyone else could do anything else, her mother woke up, god her mother was alive, and she looks better than what she had a moment ago.

She ran towards her and along with Hinata she gave her the biggest hug that she could. Her sister turned to Naruto to said thank you, but then the next thing we knew he collapsed and was taken to a hospital room in the medical wing. Other things happened afterwards, but nothing as important since.

Now in her bed looking at the roof, every time that she closes her eyes, she sees the golden chakra that has saved her mother's life. When she saw her sister training with Naruto and how strong she was really surprised her and now she is wondering if training with Naruto has that effect on her.

Naruto, that blond boy that is so different to anyone that she had met before, she now understands why her sister is so interested in him and to be honest she was as well.

"I wonder if I could see that golden chakra again" said Hanabi as she finally allows the exhaustion of the day to overcome her and falls asleep. "So beautiful" were her last words before she fell sleep.


	3. The Journey of Souls 03

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**I want to thanks Nevetx for been the Beta of this chapter.**

"This is a miracle," said the doctor as he finished his check up on Akane Hyuga.

"I told you, I feel fine," Akane said.

"That's what's so miraculous. Excuse me for saying this Akane-sama, but I wasn't expecting you to last another week. While your body is still weak from how long you had been sick, I see no reason for you to not make a full recovery, but it will take time." The doctor explained to the Hyuga Matriarch.

"That is great news mom!" Hanabi said to hear the doctor say that her mother will live. As she gave her mother a big hug, she knew that she couldn't be happier.

"Oka-sama," Hinata said and follows her sister's example and does the same.

That is how Akane and her two children celebrate the good news. The tears of happiness running freely from their eyes. For Hinata and Hanabi this means that they will not lose their mom and that they can be together. For Akane this means a lot, she now has a second chance to be the mother that both her daughters need. As well as being able to help them become strong enough to overcome the challenges of not only the ninja life but as heiresses of the Hyuga clan. Something that she is planning to change the meaning of.

From the door frame Hiashi witnesses this family event, wishing that he could be part of it. However, his position as the clan head prevents him from doing so, but even if he said that he knew that, it just was an excuse.

The real reason why he didn't try to get closer to his family at the moment, was the talk that he had with his wife the last night.

**FLASHBACK **

"How dare you!" Akane demanded of Hiashi. She had just ordered the servants and her daughters to take Naruto to another room so she can 'talk' with her husband alone. They all knew better than to get in her way.

"Akane, I .." Hiashi lamely attempts to say but is cut off by his beyond furious wife.

"Silent! You have had your chance to talk to me when I asked you, even begged you to talk with me about the way that you treated our daughters! But you always used excuses and avoiding me, now you will listen to me whether you want to or not." She lectured Hiashi in a stern and cold tone.

Hiashi remained silent as he saw how his wife was looking at him with a disappointed face from her Wheelchair.

"Did you know how hard it was for me to know that I was dying? That I will miss all the important parts of my little girls' life? But I tried to be brave and tell myself that you will be there for them, that you will be a good father and that you will protect them. I see that I placed my hopes in the wrong place." Akane told her husband, her voice full of sadness and disappointment.

"I did what it needed to be dome for the sake of the clan" Hiashi replied, repeating the same tired old excuse that he always used.

"You keep telling yourself that over and over and one day you may believe that. But I know that you are scared, scared of change, about the fact that you know that these stupid traditions are destroying the clan from inside. What happened to you? You said that one day you would change this clan for the better, to honor the memory of your brother, and now you are following the same path of those old idiots." Akane countered.

"It has to be done that way" he tries to justify his actions.

"No it doesn't and until you can see that, I hope that you enjoy sleeping alone." Akane ends the conversation and with that, she began to move her Wheelchair passing him and went to where Hinata and Hanabi were.

All Hiashi could do was watch how his wife moved away from him, he wanted to go after her and make her see his reason. That he just couldn't watch her die little by little. That he was trying to make his children strong enough to resist her death and all the hardness that the future could bring them.

The truth, however, is, that he was scared about losing her and used this situation with his daughters as an excuse to hide that fear. Now he is facing a situation that he doesn't know how to face.

"_How can I fix this situation?_" thought Hiashi.

Later that day we see Naruto begin to wake up, opening his eyes very slowly, only to see an unfamiliar roof. He began to try to stand up and he feels that his body feels really heavy, but he does manage to get in a sitting position in the bed.

Just when he was wondering where he was, a happy voice calls his name.

"Naruto-kun!"

When Naruto turns to see where the voice had come he could see Hinata was at the door, entering the room and pushing her mom's wheelchair. However, once she sees that Naruto was awake she hurried up to his side, leaving Hanabi with the task of pushing her mother's wheelchair.

"Thank you…thank you so much!" Hinata kept saying over and over again as she hugs him tightly.

"You are welcome, but it worked? Is your mother ok?" asked Naruto after he recovered from the big hug that Hinata gave him.

"I am fine, thanks to you," Akane said she got close to him, thanks to Hanabi pushing her there. While Naomi watched them from outside the room. "I have to say that I am very impressed, to be able to use medic ninjutsu at such a young age. Where did you learn it?" Akane asked while smiling at Naruto.

"I have been reading some books." Was Naruto's answer. It wasn't technically a lie, but neither was it the truth, because he had been reading books but not of medicine. Maybe he should have told her the truth, but after years of suffering at the hands of the adults of this village, he had learned to not trust too easily. She may look like a nice person and is Hinata's mom, but he had just met her and he is not willing to take the risk of telling her all that he knows about his dreams.

Hinata for her part looked at Naruto with suspicion for a moment but didn't say anything. After all, those dreams that are teaching him are Naruto's secret and she owes him for saving her mother.

Akane for her part could tell that Naruto didn't tell her all the truth, one of the benefits of being a Jonin for many years is that she learned to read people. As well as the fact that Hinata seems to know what he is hiding, but she chose to not press the matter.

"What about the golden chakra?" asked Hanabi for the first time. Wanting to know more about that beautiful chakra.

"What gold chakra?" Naruto asked, genuinely confused.

"The one that you used to cure my mom" added Hanabi, not believing that he didn't know about the golden chakra.

"But my chakra was normal." Naruto rebutted

"Naruto-kun, in the last moments before you fell unconscious, your chakra turns to a golden color for just a moment," Hinata explains, confirming the event.

"Really? But how is that possible?" Naruto asks

"I don't know" Hinata replied. "normally chakra is blue, but for it to turn a Golden color even for a moment before you fell unconscious was something that I didn't know it was possible. What do you think oka-sama?" Hinata said and turned when she asked for her mother's opinion.

"I don't know, maybe with a little research, we will be able to find out the reason" Akane suggested in response to her daughter. "But until then why don't you stay with us?" She asked Naruto.

Naruto was surprised by that offer and for a moment he thought about the offer, but after a moment he chose to answer.

"I don't think that that will be a good idea" Naruto answered.

"Why not? you saved my life and this is the very least that I can do for you." Akane asked

"But your clan would not be happy about me being here" Naruto replies.

"If I order it, then they will accept it," Akane said

"That is the problem, they will accept it. But will not be happy about it, I see the looks that the adults give me on the streets and I know that even if they were forced to accept me here, that they would not be happy and will look at me with the same eyes as the rest of the adults of the village and I would prefer to at least have a place where I can go and do not have to see those eyes." Naruto confesses to her.

Akane lowers her face as she understands Naruto's feelings and she knew what he said is true. At that moment a roar could be heard and they all look to the source of that noise.

"Sorry," Naruto said a little embarrassed that they had to hear that.

"Don't worry. You haven't eaten anything since yesterday and you used a lot of chakra. It's only natural that you are hungry, and inviting you to a nice meal is the least that I can do." Akane said.

"I do not want to bother." Naruto hedges.

"Naruto-kun, you saved my mom. You will never be a bother to me, to us" Hinata assures.

"Thank you, by the way, have any of you seen my backpack?" asked Naruto.

"I picked it up after everything calmed down" Hinata replies.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan," Naruto said smiling slightly.

With that said they headed to the room where they had met when Akane collapsed. While they were waiting for the servants to bring the food, Hinata took the opportunity to bring Naruto his backpack.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan," said Naruto as he opened it and removed a book from it. "This is the books that you lent me, thanks to that I could finish all my homework," Naruto explained.

"But why didn't use your own?" asked Hanabi

"I can't afford it and the school library will not allow me to borrow one. They said that they are only for advanced students" Naruto said a little ashamed while looking down, thanks to that he didn't see how mad Akane's angry expression that lasted only for a moment.

"You do not have to worry about books anymore, because I will make sure that you have all the books that you need." Akane decided.

"But I don't have money," Naruto replies quickly.

"And I didn't ask for it, you are my benefactor. This is something small in comparison to what you did to me." Akane assured.

"I didn't help you because I wanted a reward, I did it because you are Hinata-chan's mom." Naruto rebutted.

"And that makes you even more special. I know, what about if I lend you the books and after you have read them you can return them," said Akane.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asks.

"Of course, besides that will give me the chance to talk with you more when you return those books," Akane answers smiling at Naruto.

Naruto was surprised by these words. Hinata's mom wants to see him again, but it seems that she likes his presence. This is a first for him, not trusting his voice with the emotion he was feeling. He could only nod at her suggestion.

And with that, the food arrived and they began to eat, and keep talking.

"So you have been training with Hinata? That's interesting, do you mind if I go and watch?" asked Akane.

"But aren't you still hurt from your condition?" asked Naruto.

"He's right mom; you're not ready to train again yet" added Hanabi.

"Who said that I will be training? I just want to get out of here for a while and get some sunlight and a change of view. After all this time that I was forced to be indoors, this will be a refreshing experience. Besides I will just sit at a corner of the field and watch you if you agree?" Akane explained and asked.

"I have no problem with that" Naruto answers after seeing Hinata nodding in agreement.

"In that case, I will go too!" said Hanabi with excitement that she immediately tries to hide by saying, "I mean I am still worried about mom and want to be next to her, just in case.". But the truth is that now she was even more curious about Naruto and wants to learn more about him.

Later that day, when Naruto is about to leave Akane gave the signal to one of the servants to give Naruto a stack of books, which he realizes are books that cover a variety of subjects. However one of them catches his eyes as it was a book that covers medical jutsu.

"Thank you," Naruto said, already figuring out that Hinata's mom will not accept a no as an answer.

"My pleasure" Akane replies.

And with that that Naruto leaves the Hyuga complex.

"He is something special," said Akane, then turning to her both daughters. "There is no doubt that he will turn into an amazing man. I just hope that the woman that manages to get his heart understands that and treasures him." She continued.

"What do you mean mom?" asked Hinata with Hanabi playing close attention.

"You both are young, and still need more experience but I can tell you that he is destined to accomplish great things. When that happens many people will begin to pay more attention to him, some of them may not have good intentions and will try to use him. Some of them could even be beautiful girls that will be interested not in him, but by what he may represent or what he has. I just hope that when that day comes, he will see the truth or at less have good friends that truly care for him." Akane explains to her daughters.

With that said she gives Naomi a signal and she began to push her wheelchair back inside the complex.

Leaving both sisters to think about what she said.

**Back with Akane.**

"My lady, can I ask you something?" asked Naomi.

"What it is?" Akane replies

"Why did you tell them that?" Naomi questioned

"Because it is the true" Akane replies in a matter of fact tone.

"But you know the burden that he carries, his future will be full of pain and hardship. Whether or not he will be able to shine or find some level of happiness, is something that I can't be certain about that." Naomi replies.

"Thinking that way is understandable, with the level of information that you have on Naruto-kun." Akane counters

"Are you implying that there is more to know about him?" Naomi asks, surprised.

"That is correct, but I can't tell you more because it is an S rank secret." Akane answers.

"I understand my lady, but why would you give them both your implicit permission and encouragement for both Hinata-sama and Hanabi-Sama to get close to him? Wouldn't be enough to just tell that to Hinata-sama? They are friends after all," Naomi asks confused by her mistresses' actions.

"Did you see how Hanabi was looking at Naruto? Even with her Byakugan, when she believes that no one was looking at her and every time that she asks something it was related to that golden chakra that he used, do you know why that is?" Akane asks

"It could be that Hanabi-sama is curious about it," Naomi replies contemplating the question.

"You know her; she will not stop until she manages to learn all that she can about that golden chakra. And for that, she will want to spend more time with him." Akane answers simply.

"Even so, there is no guarantee that she will develop more than a friendship with him, and what about Hinata-sama? Only noble clans are allowed to have more than one wife and that is under extreme circumstances, besides they are too young." Naomi says

"There is no need to worry, not only do I know my daughters. But I also knew Naruto-kun's father, he was a real heart breaker, even if he did not want to be one." Akane explains confidently.

"His father?" Naomi asks

"Today I would like to take my tea in the garden," Akane says and Naomi understood what her statement meant.

Naomi understood that her lady will not talk more about the topic, and proceeded to follow her instructions.

The next day in the same field that Naruto and Hinata had been using to train. We see them training again, but this time they have an audience. Three figures staying in a tree's shadow, watching them.

These three people were Akane who was in her wheelchair, Hanabi, and Naomi.

At first, Hinata was nervous about been watched by her mom while she was training. Fearing that she could react like her father when he sees her. But thanks to Naruto, she manages to gather the courage and began to do their training as usual.

First with meditation, then chakra exercise and finally sparring while adding some of the tricks that Naruto has taught her.

The sparring session was as intense as the one Hanabi saw when spying on them, but this time they raised the level a little more. The way that Hinata defended herself when Naruto attacked, how she counter-attacked when she saw an opening, how her movements were fast and decisive.

All while they have been watched under the supervision of Akane Hyuga.

At the end of the day when their sparring sessions ceased, Akane called them over so they could share some snacks that she has prepared.

"I have to say that I was impressed by your progress Hinata-chan," Akane said, complimenting her daughter.

"Thanks, mom" Hinata said happily. She was glad to hear that her mom is proud of her.

"By the way Naruto, may I ask where did you learn all those teaching techniques?" Akane asked

"From no one, I just do what feels natural and follow my dreams" Naruto answers.

"That is wonderful, you are truly a brilliant kid. By the way, may I ask you, is it possible for Hanabi to join your training sessions?" Akane asked.

That question not only surprised Naruto and Hinata but also Hanabi.

"I know that Hanabi wants to spend time with me, but I know that she would get bored only watching from a distance. Besides, I believe that it will be for the best if she learns more about what is outside of the complex." Akane explains

"I am fine with that if that is what she wants" Naruto replies

"What do you think, Hanabi-chan?" asked Akane.

"If that is what Oka-sama wants, then I am fine with it," Hanabi said while trying to hide the fact that she was happy. After all the performance that she has just seen had shown her that this boy, Naruto, is really special. Not only that, but he is the reason for her big sister's improvement. All-day she wanted to ask to join them, but she was just too shy to ask, but now thanks to her mother she has a chance to train the same way her sister does.

"Excellent, so from now on until the day classes start you can train with them," Akane said

And so they continue with their meal until it was time to leave. When they arrived at the border of the park they parted ways.

While Hanabi and Hinata were a few meters ahead talking with each other, and Naomi was pushing Akane wheelchair.

"Hinata-sama sure has improved," Naomi said trying to start a conversation with her mistress who was deep in thought.

"Yes, she has" was her answer.

"Are you all right my lady?" Akane asked

"Naomi, didn't you find anything strange in the things that Naruto was teaching Hinata-chan?" Akane asked still with a serious face.

"I have to say that he was trained and the things that he said to support and improve Hinata-sama were not only really effective, but he explained it in the correct way to help her." Naomi analyzed.

"And that is where the problem is," Akane said.

"Akane-sama?" asked a confused Naomi.

"It was too advanced for a little kid, I was part of the ANBU corps and many of the things that he said to Hinata-chan could work in our training routine," Akane explained.

After a few seconds of silence, Naomi asked.

"Do you believe that someone is teaching him?"

"I don't think so, you saw how he reacts to other adults and strangers. If someone was teaching him, his attitude would be a little different." Akane answered.

"Then how do you explain all the things that he seems to know?" Naomi asks

"I don't know," Akane confesses.

"Could it be that he is a genius?" Naomi suggests.

"That would not be a surprise" Akane concluded.

With that said they continue their trip in silence towards their clan complex.

**That night, in Naruto's apartment.**

We see how Naruto was reading the books that Hinata's mom lent him.

"Oh man, it will take me weeks to finish these books and I don't want to abuse her kindness that much. So I better hurry up and read these books." Naruto said to himself, feeling frustrated.

A couple of hours later just as he had finished the first book he was fighting off sleep and failing at it. The book he finished was just a small one.

'If I only could read more books at the same time or when I am training with Hinata-chan.' with that last thought Naruto fell to sleep.

That night he once again dreams.

About how that man in red armor, whom he knew was the first Hokage Hashirama, was talking with his brother. Tobirama who was the second Hokage.

"I see that you created a new jutsu," Hashirama said to his brother.

"That is correct, this new jutsu will be of great help in the future" replied Tobirama.

"But what does it do?" Hashirama asked.

"Just watch this," Tobirama said as he made the hand sign in the shape of a cross with his index and middle fingers and after a small explosion of smoke a replica of Tobirama was standing beside the original.

"One clone? But I already can make those" Hashirama said as he looks disappointed with a dark cloud over him.

"But not like this one," Tobirama defended his invention. "These clones are unlike any other clones since they can be used for reconnaissance missions without risking the life of the shinobi and if the clone is destroyed it will transmit back all the information the clone had gather to its creator."

"Really? That is impressive." Hashirama complimented his brother.

"That will reduce the risk that our shinobi face when they are gathering intel inside enemy territory. Not only that but because these clones know all that the original knows, you can send them to do light duties while the original can do more physically demanding tasks." Tobirama explained.

After Hashirama heard that, he got an idea.

"Do you mean that I can leave these clones doing all of the paperwork of the clan, while I can go and do others more interesting stuff?!" Hashirama asked his brother desperately.

"What! I did not create my shadow clone jutsu just so you can go and play around!" Tobirama lectured his brother

"But it can be used in that way?!" Hashirama asked

"I will not teach you this jutsu if you are going to use it that way" Tobirama denied.

"Please!" Hasirama begged his brother, the scene would be comical to anyone watching the two bicker.

Naruto in his dream saw how the first Hokage annoyed his brother until he finally accepted to teach him that jutsu. Naruto watched the process and began learning.

The next morning, he began to practice what he saw in the dream, and after a few tries, he managed to create one clone. He wanted to do a few more tests, but it was getting late and he needed to meet with Hinata. So he left the clone and told him to begin reading those books.

When he arrives at the training field he saw that Hinata, Hanabi, her mother and their servant, Naomi, are already there.

"Good morning!" Naruto greets all of them.

"Good morning." was the answer that he received. Then he turns to Hanabi.

"Hi Hanabi-chan, are you ready to begin our training?" Naruto asks the girl.

"Of course, I am ready and I will advise you to not underestimate me, "Hanabi answered, giving Naruto a warning.

"Ok, I have already done some sparring matches with Hinata-chan, so I already have an idea about what she is capable to do. Now I would like to do the same with you, so we may find out how we can proceed with you as well" Naruto told Hanabi.

"That sounds interesting, but I warn you that I will not hold back" Hanabi replies back sternly.

"I would never ask you to do that," Naruto assures Hanabi.

So after they began to do some warm-ups, they got into their stances.

But this time Naomi acts as a referee.

"Are you ready?" Naomi asked the two and received nods from them and said, "Begin!"

Hanabi didn't waste time and jumped to attempt to land the first strike on him, but Naruto managed to avoid the attack. Hanabi didn't stop there, however, as she turned to try to hit him again. Naruto deflected the strike by using the palm of his hand to push her forearm away from him.

After a few sparring sessions with Hinata, Naruto has learned the painful lesson to never have any contact with her hands and feet. He was using those same lessons with Hanabi during their spar.

Hanabi for her part was not only surprised but also impressed. After all, no one of her age group has been able to last this long against her, the sole exception was that of her cousin Neji.

Strikes and kicks were being traded between them and no one seemed to be ready to give up. But then Naruto capitalized on an opening and his larger arm was able to land a hit on her stomach, ending the match.

For Hanabi this was a first, she has never lost this way before and she didn't know how to react. Until Naruto got closer and offered her a hand to help her to stand up.

"That was amazing Hanabi-chan, I can see how you and Hinata-chan are sisters, you are awesome," Naruto said with a smile.

Seeing Naruto with his blond hair and blue eyes looking at her while the sun rays touch his back made Hanabi blush for a moment.

"You are just being nice, I lost" was Her answer.

"That is not true, besides you didn't use your Byakugan. I am sure that you would have won if you had used it. Besides, that is why we train, to become stronger every day." Naruto assures her.

Hanabi gave a small smile as she accepted his hand.

"Where did you learn to move like that" asked Hanabi

"I just watched over from a distance while others train, you can learn a lot from that," answered Naruto never mentioning that the people that he watches are in his dreams and that are Hokage level ninjas.

After a few moments, they are joined by Hinata and began to train again. All under the watchful eye of Akane Hyuga.

The days come and go, and soon a week has already passed. And Hanabi, Hinata, and Naruto had kept training, however, there was a small change in their routine. Since Akane no longer needed the wheelchair to get there, she instead now uses a cane. Considering that she was sick for a long time is only natural that she needs more time to fully recover.

When they finished practice for the day and they were about to leave, Naruto goes for his backpack and took the books that they had lent him out to return.

"Thanks a lot for the books, they were very interesting," Naruto said as he hands the books to Naomi.

"But it has only been a few days since we gave you these books," Akane said surprised.

"Yes and they have a lot of amazing stuff in there," Naruto said as he raises his hand and a green chakra began to form around it. This chakra color could only mean that the healing palm jutsu is being used. "See? I learned a lot from it." Naruto said after activating the healing palm jutsu.

All who were present were surprised by what they saw.

"Naruto, did you manage to learn that in only a few days?" asked an astonished Akane.

"Yeah, it was pretty easy thanks to that book," said Naruto. But this is something that not even Naruto knew. That now that the knowledge of the healing techniques awakened when he saved Akane's life, it will be easier for him to have access to that knowledge in his subconscious. He only needs a little stimulus, like practicing or reading a book.

"I see, you are an amazing boy."Akane praised Naruto, who blushed at the praise since he did not use to receiving praise.

Once again they departed in different ways when they arrived at the end of the training field and headed towards their own homes.

But this time Akane had something else planned.

"Hinata, Hanabi, could you please go inside and return these books to the clan library? I have another place that I would like to go to." Akane asked her daughters.

"Yes, but where are you going mother?" asked Hinata.

"I just want to meet an old friend, don't worry I will be back before dinner time," Akane assured her daughters.

With that said she leaves with Naomi next to her.

Soon they were in front of the Hokage tower.

"Are you sure about this my lady?" Naomi asked.

"Yes, this is something that needs to be done," Akane replied.

A few moments later they were in front of the Hokage office when the secretary recognized the wife of the Hyuga clan head she went inside the office, a moment later she came back.

"The Hokage will see you now." The secretary informed them.

"Thank you, Naomi you wait here," Akane said and she didn't wait for a reply before going in.

"Akane, it is great to see you in good health, I was concerned about the state of your health. But it is good to see that you have overcome your condition." Hiruzen said, happy to see her.

"I appreciate your words Sarutobi-sama," Akane replied.

"But something tells me that this is more than a social visit," Hiruzen said, curious to what she wanted to talk about.

"You are correct; in fact, I want to talk about the person that saved my life," Akane replied.

"Really? If someone has the talent to help you when the best doctors in the village couldn't do it. Then he must be talented, so do you want to recommend him to be a doctor in the hospital?" Hiruzen asked her.

"Actually no, at least not yet. I want to talk about Naruto." Akane answered.

Sarutobi's face grew serious when he heard the name of the boy. But he knew there must be a history behind why Akane wanted to talk about him.

"What about him?" asked Hiruzen.

So Akane began to tell him the whole story, about how she feared her last days had come. How she wanted to meet Hinata's new friend before she died, what Naomi and her daughters told her of what happened when Naruto cured her. She ended the story by telling him how Naruto and her daughters have been training together.

"Golden chakra?" asked Sarutobi with concern. "was it the nine tails chakra?"

"According to the people who were around me when it happened, they told me that they didn't feel any malicious intent and I have not experienced any side effects from that experience," Akane replied

"But what could be the cause of this power?" Hiruzen asked concerned for the boy.

"It could have come from his mother's clan" Akane suggested.

"Akane, you know that he is an orphan, any record about his parents was lost when the nine tails attacked." Hiruzen tried shutting down the topic.

"And you should know, that as a former classmate of both Kushina and Minato, and as a longtime friend. I can recognize their son just by looking at him." Akane told him.

Sarutobi remained silent, for a moment but then continued.

"You know that you can't tell anybody about that, don't you?" Hiruzen asked her.

"And I haven't said anything, but it won't be long before the people that do not know will put two and two together and made the connection themselves," Akane replied answering the Hokage.

"What do you mean?" Hiruzen asked.

"Please, Naruto looks just like Minato and he is even more intelligent than he was at his age. As he grows older the resemblance will only be more evident and him being a genius, the people will realize that he must be related to him." Akane explained.

"I agree that he looks like Minato, but I am afraid that you may be mistaken about his talent. I had been monitoring his grades in the academy and I am afraid that they are not that great." Hiruzen rebutted.

"Do you also know that the library denied him access to any of the books and resources he needed? And since he didn't have any clan to help, he has been doing it all alone?" Akane asked.

"Really?" said the Hokage hiding his anger.

"My daughter Hinata, lent him her book so he that he could do his homework. He was able to learn everything in a couple of days. After he helped me I also lent him a book with basic medical jutsu, and in less than a week he was able to learn the healing palm technique." Akane explained.

This time the surprise was evident on Sarutobi's face.

"Are you sure that it is not related to the power that he used to save you?" Hiruzen asked.

"No, it was different, but it would be for the best if you ask him to show you the healing palm technique. Tell him that you want to see his progress or something, maybe then you will see that he is not only a genius but also that some of the staff members of the academy had been sabotaging his education. After all, it takes months to learn that skill and he did it in a matter of days and he did it alone. Once you see it, you will realize that with his looks and intelligence the people will make the connection between him and Minato in no time." Akane assured.

"Maybe, but that still does not explain how he could save you." Hiruzen allowed.

"When I was helping Kushina train with her chakra chains, she told me that her clan could be a little irregular about its power. That some of them develop the chains, while others have some kind of healing techniques and a few even manage to get both of them. But there is only one person that can answer that, and you know it, don't you?" Akane lectures.

"I am afraid that that is not possible," Hiruzen said.

"Why not, did she even know that her son is alive? I can't believe that Kushina would leave her son behind if she knew that he is still alive." Akane asked, she still couldn't believe the actions of her friend.

"But that is what she did, even if it is not all her fault," Hiruzen confirmed.

"What do you mean?" Akane asked

"She suffered from postpartum stress syndrome and she either didn't want to or couldn't take care of Naruto at the moment," Hiruzen explained.

Akane was surprised by this revelation.

"All this time I believed that she left the village because she lost her husband and child. But why did you allow her to leave if she was in that condition?" Akane asked.

"She didn't listen to reason or give me any choice, and with her still having good relationships with the feudal lord I didn't have any other choice," Hiruzen explained as he sighed in frustration.

"I can't believe that she would abandon Naruto." Akane sad sadly, it was unthinkable for her friend to do this. The very same one who had been so excited to have her son, who was left to grow up alone. The whole situation made her feel bad for both of them.

"It is because of her condition (PPD), from what the doctors told me even if she stayed, she wouldn't be able to be a mother to Naruto until she overcomes her condition," Hiruzen explained further.

"Poor Naruto, when he learns this it will break his heart," Akane said, concerned for the blonde boy she has come to care about.

"That is why we can't tell him." Hiruzen decided.

"He will find out one way or another, either by figuring it out himself or Kushina coming back. When that happens he will be mad and hurt." Akane tries.

"That will be dangerous if he loses control of his emotions the fox could escape from the seal," Hiruzen told her.

"You can't avoid all the bad things that Naruto will have to suffer, sadly as a jinchuriki, those bad moments will be part of his life. But maybe there can be a way to give him support for when he has to face those moments." Akane says.

"How?" was the simple but important question that Sarutobi asked.

"Sadly all the kids keep their distance and insolate him from the others, all the other kids except for my Hinata-chan, and now also Hanabi-chan," Akane said.

"What are you planning?" Hiruzen asked her, concerned for her planning.

"I have a proposal for you," said Akane smiling with a little smirk.

That smirk told Sarutobi that he will have more work to do.

It has been a few days since the meeting between Hiruzen and Akane.

When Hiruzen managed to find the perfect time to meet Naruto. He wanted to be casual, so he would not scare him or make him believe that something was wrong. So he planned to be on the same road that he takes to go home after he finished his training sessions with the Hyuga sisters.

"Old man, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked, the boy standing behind the elderly Hokage.

"Ah, hello Naruto, I was just wanted to take a walk taking advantage of there not being too much paperwork today. What about you?" Hiruzen replied to his grandson figure.

"I just finished practicing with my two friends," Naruto explained smiling.

"That is great, by the way, have you learned anything new?" Hiruzen asked Naruto, trying to be inconspicuous.

"Like what?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know, a new move or a jutsu, that you have learned since you began to practice with your friends? Let's make a bet, if you show me a new jutsu I will take you to Ichiraku ramen and you can eat all you want" Hiruzen proposed to the blonde, knowing he would fall for the bet.

"REALLY! YOU'RE ON" Naruto said as he made a few hand signs and then a green chakra began to cover his hand.

"This is something that I learned from a book that my friends' mom lent me," Naruto said with a happy smile, he was not paying attention to the surprised expression on the old Sarutobi's face.

Even if Akane told him that he was able to do it, seeing in person was still a big surprise.

"Ok Naruto, as I promised I will take you to get all the ramen that you can eat," Hiruzen said proudly, smiling at the boy.

"YEAH!" Naruto exclaimed happily.

A few hours later, Hiruzen was back in his office. Hiruzen was finishing writing a letter after he finished he summoned a small monkey and ordered it to deliver his letter.

"How is possible that a small body like his could eat so much ramen?" Sarutobi asked himself, thinking about the day's events and what he was able to confirm today.

Naruto is a genius and Akane was right to say that he may already be smarter than Minato was at his age. This information was a source of great happiness and concern at the same time.

"We may need to move sooner than expected" with that said he turns off the lights of his office and leaves.

If we had managed to arrive a little earlier and look over his shoulder when he was writing, we could have known that the letter had said.

"Young Naruto has inherited his father's intelligence, he may attract more attention than what we have anticipated, we may have to move up your visit."

End of the chapter.


	4. The Journey of Souls 04

**Here comes the next chapter of my story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**I want to thanks Nevetx for been the Beta of these chapters. **

**I will answer some questions that I receive at the end of the chapter.**

First, I want to thank all the readers that have contacted me to tell me that they like my fic. I will do my best to create more situations that you may enjoy in the future.

Also, to the people that had sent me a PM to ask me about my Unlimited Rettousei story, the story is still alive. The new chapters will get edited soon. I have already chapter 25 ready, but each chapter has around 25 to 30 pages, so it will take it some time to get them ready. By the way, it looks that the second season of Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei will air this year.

About my Halkeginia Fate story (a crossover between familiar of the zero and Fate Stay Night), that story was supposed to be a one-shot. Still, I got many PM asking me to continue the story. At first, I didn't know what I could do to make a fic that is different from all the other crossovers between these two series that already exist on this website. Then I found a manga with the name of **Mannen D-rank No Chuunen Boukensha, Yotta Ikioi De Densetsu No Ken Wo Hikkonuku**. That also has a talking sword with a personality more interesting than Derflinger. So I chose to replace him with this new talking sword, I recommend you to see the first couple of chapters of the mangas of this story before you continue to read this fic.

I have two more chapters' ready for this story, but they need a Beta. If someone wants to help me with that story, please send me a PM.

**Now here is this chapter.**

**Konoha Ninja Academy.**

It was the first day of class, and we see how a group of people was walking towards the academy, the heavy steps and the flat face that express that they would like to keep sleeping a little more or that the holidays would last longer, but that is not the case. They have to be the first ones to arrive at the academy because they are the teachers!

However, one of them, in particular, a chunin had a lot on his mind. He is Iruka, a chunin sensei that has under his charge a class full of clan heirs and other peculiar students.

But these first days were different from any others that they have in the past. Every year, a couple of days before the beginning of the classes, the academy staff has a reunion where they can make plans and talk about any critical matters related to the next scholar year.

But the meeting that they had three days ago was completely different from any other conference that they have. The reason was simple, the Hokage was present, and he didn't seem happy.

The information that he receives from the Hokage was shocking.

The Hokage had fired the librarian that refused to allow Naruto into the public library. The Hokage went on to explain that an investigation into Naruto's previous teachers to find who sabotaged Naruto's education.

Many of the academy staff began to protest, saying that was not the case and that he was just a bad student.

But that is when the Hokage dropped the explosive tag and told them that in this holiday's Naruto has managed to learn the mystique palm technique. He has confirmed it in person, that he will no longer tolerate any kind of unwanted behavior towards any student, no matter the circumstances.

After he said those words, the Hokage leave the academy.

Many did not want to believe what the Hokage told them, but they can't deny it either. The principal said that they need to confirm it and the best way to do that is in a demonstration that the students must do when classes resume. That way, they could see if the students had been practicing in their homes. They will ask Naruto to show them any technique that he has to learn during the break, and he, in reality, did learn that medic jutsu, they will have no other option than admit that true even if they don't want to do it.

But for Iruka, this information has a more profound implication. Even if he didn't like the boy at first, he tries to be neutral and teach him the same as with the other students. Because he said to himself that is has overcome his past and the paint from that terrible night, but if what the Hokage said is true, then that means that he isn't as good as he believed.

Those ideas were running around inside his head as he waited for the students to arrive in the classroom.

Soon they began to arrive one at the time until the blond student that was the focus of his current doubts arrives in the company of his only friend, Hinata.

"Good morning class, I hope that you have enjoyed these holidays and that you are full of energy because this year things are going to get more interesting. But first, I would like to see if you have made any progress in your free time, so I would like to ask you to step in front of the class and" whatever Iruka was about to say more, but he was interrupted when the principal arrived.

"Mr. Principal?"

"Hello Iruka, I just come here to guide a new student that has arrived today. She got in under special circumstances, and after she made a test were, we saw her skill, we determinate that she has the level to be in this class."

"Ok, and where is that new student?" asked Iruka, wondering about this, because it was the first time that he heard something about a new student.

"Right behind me, you can come now and introduce yourselves to the class."

After the principal said that he moves to one side to allow the new student to get in

, for the other students, she looks like a young girl. But for Naruto and Hinata, they knew very well who she is.

"Hanabi?" said a surprised Hinata.

"Hello, nice to meet you all. I am Hanabi Hyuga," said a formal Hanabi.

"Hyuga? Are you by any chance related to Hinata? Said a boy with a dog.

"We are sister, and I couldn't attend the academy due to a clan situation, even if I was teaching and trained in my clan, but now the situation was resolved, and I can attend the academy."

Of course, this was a lie. But it was what Hanabi's mother told her to say, and to be honest, the surprised face of Hinata and Naruto when they saw her was worth it.

**Flashback, a few days after she began to train with Naruto and her sister.**

"Hanabi, honey, could you please come here for a minute." Said Akane from their clan dojo.

"Yes, Oka-sama," said Hanabi, that was walking by the hall at that moment.

Her mom had begun to do light training to recover her old condition, the disease has weakened her, and that will take time, but she was happy to see how her mom was getting better with each day.

"Hanabi, tell me what you would think if I tell you that you can attend the academy in the same grade as your sister, Hinata, and Naruto-kun?" said Akane stressing the name of the boy to see if you could get a reaction.

The light blush on her face was all the confirmation that she needed.

"But how will that be possible?"

"You will need to take a test, something that should be easy considering that you have been training and studying here."

"But why now of all the time?"

"Because you need it, you had been losing great experience in the past, and now its time for you to release all your potential and experience things that you can do if you remain inside this complex walls."

"But why join the same year as Hinata-nee-sama?"

"Because that way, you will support each other's and I will feel better if I know that you have your sister and Naruto-kun next to you."

"What about the academy rules? I don't know if what you are saying is even possible."

"Don't worry, I already had a friendly talk with the Hokage, and he has agreed with my request." (_look the previous chapter_). "So what do you said, are you willing to do it?"

After a few seconds, she nodded.

"Yes, I will, but please do not tell them anything about this. I want to surprise both of Hinata-nee and Naruto-kun."

**End of the flashback**

And she succeeded because looking at the face of Naruto and Hinata was the proof that she managed to do it.

"Welcome to our class, Hanabi-chan, now why do you look for a seat."

And with that Hanabi walked towards where Hinata and Naruto seats, even if there were space for four people in their row, they are always alone because the other kids do not want to get close with Naruto and Hinata prefer to be with him than the rest of the class.

Without saying a word, Hanabi takes the seat that was on the other side of Naruto, and she was smiling at both of them.

"Surprise," said in a low voice.

"I believe that Iruka sensei was about to ask to see what progress you had made in this holydays." Said the principal. "Do you mind if I observe."

Iruka knew what the principal wants, he wanted to confirm the story of the Hokage, and he couldn't blame him. After all, he also wanted to see the truth.

"Of course," answered Iruka. "I was about to take them to the training area to see their progress."

"Ok, then."

With that said, the entire group walked towards the training ground.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hinata in a low voice towards her sister.

"Mom believes that it will be a good idea that I come to the academy with you, aren't you happy to see me?" asked Hanabi pretending to be hurt.

"That is not what I mean, I am happy to see you, but this was a surprise." Said Hinata that because she fell in her sister's game, she didn't watch where she was walking and crash with one student that was walking in front of her.

"Oh, I am sorry," said Hinata as she apologizes to the girl.

The other girl turns to see her but did not say anything, and she just keeps walking following the group.

"What is her problem? You apologies to her, and the less that she could do was answer you" sad a mad Hanabi.

"It is ok, Hanabi" said Hinata.

"But that was rude."

"That girl is Yakumo Kurama"

"Who?"

"She should be in the upper class, but a health problem causes her to miss a lot of classes, and she ended losing the school year, I guess that she must not be happy for this situation" answered Hinata.

They keep talking with Naruto joining them until they finally arrive at the training ground.

"Ok, class, I will proceed to call you one by one, and then you will show us what you have been doing in your holidays and see if you have made any progress."

One by one, the students filed to the front of the class and showed their skill. Some show how they mastered the taijutsu form that they were practicing before or an academy jutsus that they had been practicing.

But the students that came from clans show some of their clan skills.

A boy with a dog makes a combo attack against a dummy doll.

A blond girl took control over a bird that was flying in the area.

A boy with overweight made his hand big, but only after Iruka told him that he would confiscate his potato chips if he stands up and do something.

A boy with a strange haircut that keeps saying that everything was troublesome, seemed to be in the same situation, but he manages to link his shadow with Irukas and stop his movements for a moment.

When the turn of a black-haired boy comes, all the girls in the classroom go wild.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Show that you are the best!"

"Have a date with me!"

"Silent!" said Iruka to the girls.

Sasuke just made a few hand signs, and a small fireball comes from his mouth.

Again, the girls go crazy, and still, Iruka has to shut them up. Then he looks for the students that did not have past yet.

"It's my turn now."

"Are you ok? Yakumo, you can pass for today if you aren´t feeling well?"

"I can do it," was Yakumo's answer. With that, she took her drawing book, and with a few traces, she draws a small fire that appeared in the middle of the ground, but there was no heat, and after a moment, it disappears without leaving any damage, showing that it was an illusion.

But that tired the girl, and Iruka has to take her under a tree so she can rest.

When the turn of Hinata arrives, Hanabi also stands up.

"Could it be possible for us to show you the same kata (form)" asked Hinata. She and Hanabi talked about this. Hinata, for her part, believes that if they do it together, they could end faster, something that she appreciates because she did not like to shine in from of other people. However, Hanabi has another idea, and she will show them all how amazing her big sister is.

When Iruka agrees, the Hyuga sisters took their stances and began to practice strikes and blocks, and it was a partner's form. Both of them knew what moves they need to do to attack and defense, but because they are using chakra that spars each time that their hands made contact, the visual effect was terrific for the others.

When they finished, all the students were cheering that performance.

Now is the moment that Iruka and the principal were waiting. It was Naruto's turn.

"All right!" said an excited Naruto that was getting ready in a fighting stance. He intended to show a new form that he has learned in his dreams. But he was stopped by the principal.

"Can you wait a moment?"

"Is something wrong?" asked Naruto, worried that maybe he has done something wrong.

"Oh no, you see, I saw the Hokage a few days ago, and he told me that he saw you use a new jutsu, and I was wondering if you could show us that jutsu."

"You mean this?" asked Naruto as his hand began to glow with a green chakra. "But this does not look very impressive," he complained, not paying attention to the expression of Iruka and the principal.

"Don't worry, that will be enough." said the principal that then turned to see Iruka. "I will leave now. Take care of the rest."

While the other students saw how the principal leave the field, only Iruka knew what has just happened, and he knew that there would many changes in the academy in the future.

While the students began to walk back towards the classroom, we see how a group of kids started to talks with each other.

"What was that thing just now, he loser," said a boy making fun of Naruto.

"Yeah, that was so pathetic that even the principal didn't bother to see what you can do," said another one.

"Why don´t you quick already?!" said a girl this time.

"There is no way that you will ever become a ninja, and the same goes for that freak friend of yours!"

For Naruto and Hinata, these talks were something an everyday occurrence, and they just decide to ignore them, but unfortunately, no one has told Hanabi what to do.

"WHAT DID YOU SAID?!"

"Oh, the little sister of the freak got mad."

"I bet that she is also a loser like her sister."

"YOU !" Hanabi was about to get ready to teach them a lesson when she felt two hands on her shoulders.

"Onee-sama, Naruto-kun"

"Just ignore them, Hanabi-chan," said Naruto.

"Don't lower yourself to their level," said Hinata.

"How can you be so calm after they said all those things" was Hanabi's reply.

"Because we know that nothing is true, so there is no point getting mad over people telling lies" was Naruto's reply.

"Don't try to look cool now!" said one of the girls.

"Yeah, after all, the only thing that you can do is that useless green thing," said one of the boys.

"it's not useless; it is a potent healing technique that saved my mother's life, so don't call it useless!" said Hanabi.

"What is happening here?" said Iruka as he gets to where the students were gathered and seemed to be having and discussion.

"They got mad because we told them the truth," said the boy that started this incident.

"That is a lie, Naruto-kun jutsu is incredible."

"That is a lie, isn't it Iruka-sensei?" said another boy.

"Hanabi is correct; the name of the jutsu that Naruto used is the mystique palm technique, a healing jutsu that you need to have a level close to chunin to use"

All the students went silent after he said that. One girl, in particular, paid more attention than the others and began to look at Naruto with a more determined look in her eyes.

The rest of the school day went on without further incident.

When classes were over, all the kids were heading towards their homes. On some occasions, some of the parents were waiting for them.

But today, a particular person was waiting for three of the students.

"Okasan?" asked both Hinata and Hanabi at the same time.

"Hello my dears, how was your day?" asked Akane with a smile.

"It could be better," said Hanabi. "But, more importantly, why are you here without your wheelchair?"

"I do not need it anymore," said Akane. It was true ever since Naruto help her she had been regaining her strength little by little. While she had been able to stand up and do moderate exercise, this is the first time that her daughters saw her going out the complex by her own feet, even if Naomi was still standing next to her." and is all thank you Naruto-kun."

"I am just happy that you are fine now."

"But getting to my previous question, did something happened, Hanabi-chan?"

"A group of bad kids tried to make fun of Naruto-kun and Nee-sama."

"Really?" asked a not very happy Akane.

"It is not a big deal. We know that we are better than what the other students believe, so we just ignore them," said Hinata.

"That is very mature of you honey, but if some of those kids ever cross the line with you, Hanabi or Naruto, you have my permission to teach them a lesson, in the Hyuga way," said Akane in a loud voice so the people around her could hear her.

"Excuse me," said a voice from behind her that was with an old man. When she turned to see who it was, she saw a little girl.

"Hello, did you need something from me?"

"Are you these girls, mother?"

"Yes," answered a curious Akane.

"And you were cured by Naruto?"

"That is true, but who wants to know and why?"

"Sorry for my late introduction, my name is Yakumo Kurama, and I want Naruto-san to cure me as well."

That answer causes silence to surround them.

"Maybe it will be for the best if we talk about this in a more private place, would you like to come to my home."

"We do not want to bother," said the old man that was with the girl.

"Please grandpa, this could be my last chance," said Yakumo.

"I insist," said Akane, now she was curious. And if there is something that one should know about Akane is that once she makes her mind in something, she always finds a way to get what she wants.

A few moments later, in the Hyuga complex.

"Naomi, could you please ask the servants to bring us tea, please."

"Yeas Akane-sama"

"Now, could you tell me a little more about your condition?"

"I have a condition that no medic in Konoha has been able to cure, that condition made me lose control over my bloodline and is weakening my body."

"Is for that reason why you couldn't go to the academy at the end of the year?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, and my condition hasn't improved is getting worse, and my parents told me that if I have another episode like the one that I have the last year they will remove me from the academy, that means that I will lose my chance to accomplice my dream of bean a ninja. That is why I want to ask you if it is true that Naruto-san could cure you and if he will be willing to help me?" asked a serious Yakumo.

But Akane could see that the girl in from of her scared, this may be her last chance before she loses the dream of her life, and that is something that she can understand.

"You will need to ask him, after all, he is his person and has the right to choose what he wants to do," Said Akane as she looked at the blond boy.

Naruto had been listening to Yakumo, and he understands what she was experiencing after all is only his dream that gives him the strength to keep going even if the rest of the village seen to be against him.

"I will do it."

"Are you sure, Naruto-kun? The last time you lose conscience," asked a worried Hinata.

"This is something that I need to do because if I can help others to achieve their dreams, then how will I be able to achieve mine?"

"You will cure me?" asked Yakumo with hope in her voice.

"I will try my best, now could you please seat in the ground."

Yakumo did as Naruto told her, and he stepped behind her and put his hand on her back. He had read that this position is the best to use this mystique palm technique in this kind of situation.

Soon he began to gather his chakra and began to put his chakra inside Yakumo.

However, none of them knew was that what Yakumo had was not a disease. Instead, it was a minor demon that has taken her body, making it his new home. And that is the cause of all her problems.

**Inside Yakumo. **

There was a small demon seating inside Yakumo while he is adsorbing her chakra, this is what he does, he gets inside a human, absorb its chakra until they died and they move to the next one.

But at that moment, he feels a foreign chakra inside the girl, and that could only mean one thing.

"It looks that those stupid humans don't know when to give up; there is no way that those silly powers of theirs will be able to stop me. Maybe it is time to teach them a lesson and made the body of this girl .."

The demon didn't end what he was saying as he began to look for the source of this chakra.

"What a surprise, I have never felt such a delicious chakra before, I don't know who this chakra belongs to but whoever it is, will become my new home."

With that said, he moves towards the source of that chakra, but he did not know that 'his new home' already has a tenant.

**Inside Naruto's body.**

The Kyubi has learned that he can get in contact with Naruto's sense and experience everything that he does, as long as he does not try to harm him. From his point of view, this was an improvement because now he has a form of entrainment. He had something to do other than instead sleeping in his cage.

But another advantage is that he can feel what his surroundings are, so he can know if someone has bad intentions towards Naruto, thanks to his unique sensor ability.

Therefore, when he saw that Yakumo girl, he knew that she wasn't sick, and he knew what will happen at the moment that Naruto tries to help her. So he got ready.

Kyubi began to release a little bit of his chakra to create a path that that little demon will follow and would bring him inside his cage because even he can't get out, that however, does not mean that he can't bring someone in if a particular idiot does it himself.

Soon the chakra in Naruto's hands began to change to a light golden color, just like when he helps Akane, and that was enough to make the presents pay more attention, a little more in Hanabi's case.

Now that the trap was ready, all the Kyubi needed to do was wait, something that didn't take long as the minor demon in his arrogance advance without paying any attention.

The minor demon jumps triumphantly without realizing that he was that he has just dropped inside the Kyubi cage. When he opens his eyes and see that instead of been inside that new body, he was in a cage, and not only that, inside the cage was the nine-tailed fox.

When he realizes the deep trouble that he is now, he tries to escape, but the cage stops him. But the demon didn't stop there, he keeps trying to survive at all cost, but it was useless if the great Kyubi couldn't do it, a little demon has no chance.

"You do not need to worry," said the Kyubi

That causes the demon to stop trying to escape and turn to see him.

"After all, I had been waiting for this chance for a long time."

"You do?" asked the minor demon with hope; maybe the great, tailed beast has heard about him and is willing to taking him as a subordinate.

"Yes, I had always been waiting for the chance to a stateside kill," said the Kyubi with an evil smile as the scream of the minor demon could be heard inside the cage.

**Back in the real world**

We see how Naruto remove his hands from Yakumo's back and have to sit after that.

"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" asked a worried Hinata.

"Yes, this time, it was easier than when I used with your mom," said a tired Naruto, but then he turns to see Yakumo. "Did it work?"

At that moment, all the eyes turned towards Yakumo.

"I don't know, but somehow I feel better, like a big weight that was over me was finally remove," said Yakumo as she tries to stand up, but she has some trouble.

When her grandfather saw this, he moves to help her.

"Are you ok?"

"I feel tired, but I feel fine. I feel a lot better than what I feel in a long time."

"Take it easy, your body was weak for some time, and it will need time to recover," said Akane as she got closer to her.

However, Yakumo was seeing her hands as she moves them. "I can feel it, and I know that I will be ok." She turned to see Naruto as her bow to him. "Thank you so much. You had saved my dream."

"No problem, but are you sure that you will be ok?"

"Yes, I know that I will, do not ask me how I know it, I just know."

"Thank you for helping my granddaughter."

"It was my pleasure."

"Naruto, I would recommend that for today you rest from training," said Akane.

When Naruto turns to see her, she continues. "You were planning to train after class, didn't you?"

"Yes, that is the only way to get stronger."

"That is true, but also is the fact that you used too much chakra just now and if you do not give enough time to your body to rest you could get hurt, so for today go and rest"

"But I feel fine."

"Naruto!" said Akane with authority, that later change to a kind expression on her face. "You are a very dear friend to my daughters, and I believe that you are a wonderful kid with great potential, so please, after all, that you have done for us I do not want to see you getting hurts for something like this"

Naruto was used to hard words expressed towards him, in particular for the adults for the village, but even if Akane shows a level of strength that she hasn't shown before, he could see that she was very concerned for him. That was a surprise for him, a pleasant and welcome surprise.

"As you said, Akane-san" was Naruto's answer.

"Are you planning to train even after class?" asked Yakumo that watched the interaction between Naruto and Akane.

"Yes, Hinata-chan and I, and I guess that now Hanabi-chan, we are planning to train three days per week after class, we would train more, but they still need to practice and learn their clan techniques."

"I know that this may sound egoist after all that you did for me, but could it be possible that you can allow me to also train with you?" asked Yakumo.

"Are you sure, we do not even know if you have recovered fully?" asked Hinata.

"I am sure" was Yakumo's only answer.

Hinata did not know what to think; for a long time, Hinata had the advantage that she was the only girl in the academy that is close to Naruto. Hanabi is an exception; after all, Hanabi is only grateful and curious about Naruto because he safe their mom, so she does not have any deep feelings for him (right?). Still, now if Yakumo began to see the real Naruto, she may want to become a closer friend to him, she might end up liking him, and Hinata isn't sure if she could handle another girl wanting to be close to him. Maybe Naruto-kun could said something that could made her change her mind, after all training three persons at the same time must be hard for him.

"Then is decided, the more the better, right Hinata-chan?" said Naruto completely obvious to Hinata's worries.

Therefore, the Naruto and the girls began to talk about what they will do in the next time that they get the chance to train after class.

While all this was happening, Akane saw with great interest what has just happened. Usually, the idea of another girl getting to close to Naruto outside her little girls is something that she hasn't planned for but, maybe, just maybe this will cause a change in Hinata, she is so lovely and shy in a sweet way. Still, she needs to learn to fight for what she wants, and this situation may be the push that she needed.

However, on the other hand, she saw how Hanabi activate her Byakugan at the moment that Naruto began to cure Yakumo. The intensity in her eyes show her that the interest that she has about his chakra and Naruto, in general, has just grown up, what will Hanabi do about this, that is something she did not know.

**Time skip two weeks.**

Over the last two weeks, the health of Yakumo has improved, and even if she still needs to take it easy when she trained with Naruto, Hinata, and Hanabi, she was getting better with each session. Something that also showed in her academy performance.

However, for Naruto, there is something strange. Because after a few days, he realizes that now Hinata, Hanabi, and Yakumo are rotating the seats around him. And he didn't know why they would bother with something like this, they were is a four-seat row at the end of the classroom, in the first day Hinata seats at his right with Hanabi at his left, but that leaves one free seat that Yakumo took the day after he helps her.

See how she was getting better was something special for him, see that the knowledge that he is getting from those dreams are real and that he can use it to help others is something that made him feel good.

Now he saw how they change seats each day. He didn't understand why they wanted to change where they sat every day, all began a week ago when he saw them talking in private when Naruto got closer Hinata, Hanabi, and Yakumo become silent. When he asked what the trio was talking about, they say that it was girls' stuff. Because of his experiences, he was afraid that the girls did not want to be his friend anymore. Nevertheless, that worry ended when he saw how they hurry to the seat next to him. But this time, It was Hinata and Yakumo that were sitting next to him, with a not very happy looking Hanabi seating at the other side of Hinata. 'I wonder what that girl-talk was. Oh well, it must not be something important.' Naruto wondered to himself.

"Naruto-kun, today, mom asked to ask you if you can come with us?" asked Hinata.

"Sure, is there any reason?"

"I don't know, but knowing my mom, she always has a reason behind her actions."

It was the end of a new school day, and as a promise, Naruto walked with Hinata and Hanabi to their home, Yakumo wanted to go as well, but her grandpa has come to picket her because she has to attend some clan business.

When they got there, he saw that in the tearoom, Akane was already waiting for them to arrive but she wasn't alone, she was with a beautiful woman that he has seen her before when she has come to pick up that duck ass haired of Sasuke. But he knew that he couldn't say that because that will embarrassed Akane-san, and that is the last thing that Naruto wants to do, even if he didn't like Sasuke.

Besides, even if he believes that Sasuke is an idiot, his mom still seen to be a nice person.

"Hello, I hope that you have a good day in the academy," said Akane. "I would like to introduce you to a good old friend of mine, Mikoto Uchiha."

"It is nice to meet you all," said Mikoto.

"It is nice to meet you too," said Naruto, Hinata, and Hanabi at the same time.

"Naruto, the reason why I asked you to come here is that we need to ask for your help," said Akane with a serious expression.

**End of the chapter.**

**Notes.**

**About Kushina.**

I saw that some people did not like it about how I will introduce Kushina in my story. However, I am still planning to keep with this plotline. The reason for this decision is that something like this happened in my family in real life.

I have a cousin; he is the son of my mother's older brother. My uncle and his mom were never married, but they lived together to raise my cousin. However, when my cousin was around ten years old, her mom just left him and my uncle. Later we know that she left them for another man.

After that happened, my mom began to help her brother by taking care of my cousin while he was working. After that, my brothers and I saw him as another brother.

Back to my main point, when my cousin and I got into college because there was less than a year between our ages, his "mom" returned, and that did not end well. She asked for forgiveness and a second chance, she even tries to buy his pardon with many things, but he did not want to have anything to do with her.

Talking with each other's, he told me that he sees my mom, his aunt, as his real mom.

Sometime later, I have to take a psychology course. In addition, one of the topics that I have to do work about was postpartum stress syndrome. When I began to research the subject, I saw some of the characteristics of this condition, and I ended asking my cousin about his opinion about the topic. He told me that something like that syndrome, he could forgive and understand, but not what his mom did.

Now my cousin is an Industrial Engineer and made his own life, and even after all these years, he only talks with his "mom" formally, keeping his distance.

My point is that I have seen that in real life, this kind of thing happens, but also I saw how the woman that has postpartum stress syndrome isn´t devils because this can happen to any woman that gives birth to a child.

By that time, I found a fic named **for the love of a family**. That is how I got curious about the topic, and then I began to wonder if I should write a fic like that.

I have to make clear that I will not make Kushina a devil or a naïve fool. She will be a person with problems that are trying to fix them and her life. I am planning to develop a second plotline that will allow us to see what is happening to her when she gets back.

**About Yakumo.**

I am still not sure what will be of her, but I believe that she is a great character that they should have developed better.

**About the stateside kill joke.**

I already have in mind the idea about how the minor demon that was inside Yakumo will end up inside Kyubi cage. Still, then I saw a video on youtube from black riffle company, named I Wish a Mother F$ #* Would! And I got the idea for that little joke.

**The salvation of the Uchiha clan.**

That will be the name of the next chapter, I have in mind a way to save the Uchiha clan, and have a couple of big turns in the main plotline that I have not seen in others fics. It will also be in the next chapter that Naruto awake the Mokuton. Also, I have a big surprise for Hanabi.

**Someone asked me for recommendation about fics, novels, and manga to read so here are some of the ones that I would like to recommend (They include different series)**

These are Fate Stay Night series.

s/7657235/1/Path-of-the-King

s/7798790/1/Promises-of-a-Wandering-Hero

s/13452351/1/Effecting-Fate

These two are some of the best crossovers that will find in this website and are already complete.

s/6154638/1/The-Hill-of-Swords

s/6556187/1/In-Flight

This one is a Kaze no stigma crossover that had a fascinating idea. In the end, the author abandoned it.

s/9891494/1/Stigma-of-the-Void

These are sci-fi stories, some are complete, some abandoned some of these stories, but they have great ideas.

s/9251992/1/A-Brutal-Truth

s/11050316/1/A-Brutal-Reality

s/11669001/1/The-New-Order-of-Tribes

s/11126728/1/Contact-at-Kobol

s/12535251/1/Contact-of-Races

s/12913668/1/Contact-at-the-Citadel

s/12670694/1/The-Horizons-Beyond

s/7462757/1/Mass-Effect-Clash-of-Civilizations

About some light novels, these are some of the best that you will find:

Both novels have a manga version. Both are about a person that died and reincarnate in a magical world. I know that there are many stories like that, but what made them special is what the main character does with his new life.

On To Be a Power in the Shadows!

The main character is someone that only cares about money and follows his desires, but no matter what crazy and selfish thing he does for his benefits, he always ended as the hero, even if he does not want to be one.

On The World of Otome Games is Tough For Mobs

The main character that is a low lever noble wants to get rid of his noble status to have a normal life, but he ended getting promote instead.

I recommend you to see the manga of these two stories, and if you like them, you can find the novels.


	5. The Journey of Souls 05

**Title: The Salvation of the Uchiha Clan - Part 1**

**I want to thank PraetorXyn for being the Beta for this chapter. **

**Hello.**

**As you can see, I have many things in mind for the Uchiha clan that are completely different from the canon story. Especially Itachi, who in my personal opinion should have had a different life.**

**In this chapter we will see the events that will happen in their penultimate year in the academy.**

**Please review at the end of the chapter and look at my other fics.**

**Now on with the chapter**

"Naruto, the reason why I asked you to come here is because we need to ask for your help," said Akane with a serious face.

"Sure, just tell me what I can do for you?"

"You see the same sickness that you cured me of, it has also affected the son of my friend Mikoto here, and I would like to ask you if it would be possible for you to cure him as well?"

"I can try, but how did the two of you end up with the same sickness?" asked a confused Naruto.

In that moment both Akane and Mikoto looked at each other having a silent conversation with their eyes as they remembered that terrible night.

**Flashback**

It was late at night, and a group of shinobi are gathered in a dark room, but they aren't any normal shinobi; they are ANBU, the elite forces that take care of the more critical missions, missions where failure is not an option. In this moment the leader appears; she seems to be a female by her body, because her face is covered with her white mask.

"We received information about a possible hidden laboratory of that traitorous snake Orochimaru. I don't think that I need to tell you that this is a top priority mission; we go in and take all the information that we can get."

"What if we find that traitor?" asked one of them

"Do not face him alone, call for back up. Any other questions? No? Then you have two hours to get ready, we will leave at nightfall."

With that final order, all those present leave to get ready for the mission, even a smaller one that looks like an adolescent. When the room is empty, she speaks again.

"You can come out now."

"I see that you are as sharp as always," said Mikoto.

"I just knew that you would be here, I know that I would if my child were assigned to this mission."

"This is not an ordinary mission; I should go as well."

"You are still recovering from that injury and you know the rules; multiple family members may not go on the same ANBU mission."

"I know, but I needed to ask you in person."

"To protect Itachi? I will, even with my life, but you know that even then I cannot guarantee anything."

"I know, but also please be careful, I already lost a good friend with Kushina; I would not like to lose another one."

"Again, no guarantees, but thanks for your concern; also, please take care of yourself."

The masked woman simply nodded her head before she also left the room.

Mikoto prayed the mission ended without any trouble, but that never happened. A few days later she rushed to the hospital after she received the message that her friend and son had just been admitted there.

When she tried to see them she was stopped by the doctor, saying that no unauthorized personnel were allowed inside because they were exposed to an unidentified substance within the laboratory and that they are running some tests to see what damage it caused.

While Mikoto was waiting, her husband arrived with the Hokage, as they met with another ANBU that participated in the mission to receive their report.

"It was a trap; the entire complex was a trap and they were waiting for us. Somehow they knew that we were coming. Orochimaru sent his best ninja to kill us, but they seemed to want to Itachi alive. That is why the captain remained close to him, but in the heat of battle an idiot with spider arms shot an arrow that hit a container, releasing some kind of gas or something. The captain tried to cover Itachi, but ended up receiving the biggest part," said the ANBU member.

They had more questions but in that moment the doctor arrived; he had news and by the look on his face, it wasn't good.

**End of the flashback**

"We were in the same place when we were infected," answered Akane.

"Do you want to take me to where your son is now?" asked Naruto.

"Yes, but first you have to eat something, remember what happened when you cured me; now I want all of you to go wash your hands and get ready to eat, you can go with Mikoto after that."

Hinata and Hanabi take Naruto to where he can wash his hands and leave the two friends in the room.

"He is so very like his father, isn't he?" asked Mikoto.

"So, you realized it too?"

"Only a blind idiot would not see the familial resemblance." Mikoto then remained silent for a moment, and then she continued. "I thank you for this."

"It is Naruto that you should thank, not me."

"I know, but you know what I mean."

"I couldn't protect Itachi-kun as I promised you."

"You brought him home with his family instead of being in one of Orochimaru's hideouts, with Kami only knows what kinds of experiments been performed on him."

"I should have done more."

"You did enough my friend. Do the ANBU still have no idea about how that snake bastard knew that you were going?"

"My only guess is that there is a spy."

The two friends then headed to where the kids were waiting for them.

An hour and a meal later, Naruto is now walking with Mikoto and Akane towards the Uchiha compound, Hinata and Hanabi also wanted to go with them but her mother told them not to for today.

When they arrived at the Uchiha compound Naruto could see the same looks he was used to seeing from the adults of the village in the faces of the Uchiha clan, but just like the Hyūga clan, they did not do anything because the matriarch was with him.

Soon they arrived at the main house where they could see how a young boy was keeping watch at the entrance of their home.

"Itachi! I told you that you should rest inside the house!"

"I am fine mother, and a little activity will be good for me; it is good to see you again Akane-sama," said Itachi looking at his former captain.

"It is nice to see you as well; tell me how you feel?"

"I received a smaller dose of that substance than you, so the disease is progressing slower than in your case, but I see that you are feeling better. The fact that you are here with my mother tells me that you want to tell me something that might be the news that I have been hoping for."

"We will talk about this inside the house; by the way, this young boy is Naruto."

While this was happening, a father and son were spending time together near the lake; normally that would be a good thing as they deepen their bonds, but not on this occasion.

"Again Sasuke; this time you have to make the fire jutsu bigger."

"I am trying father," said a tired Sasuke who has been practicing this jutsu since he came home after school.

"When Itachi was your age he did it without my help; maybe I was wrong to expect the same from you."

"I can do it father."

"Maybe, but not today; it is time to go home."

Sasuke began to follow his father while thinking about how his life has changed in the last few months.

It all began when one day some ANBU came to his home. He knew that his brother was one of them so he believed that they came looking for him, but when his mother saw them, the expression of fear on her face made him fear that something was wrong.

That fear become a reality when the next day he went with his parents to visit his brother in the hospital. They began to tell him many things that he did not understand in that moment, but he understood one thing. His brother may not be a ninja anymore.

That was something that hit him hard, because he loved his brother and wanted to be like him, and now he may not be a ninja anymore. That was extremely hard for him to accept, but for his parents it was even worse, especially for his father who had placed all his hopes in Itachi and now he was frustrated.

He always wanted his father's attention, but now it seemed that he wanted to put all his hopes in him, and in this moment he didn't know if he should be happy or worried because of that.

What would happen if he did not live up to his expectations, and what will happen if his brother never recovers?

He saw his mother cry when she believed that she was alone and that worried him a lot, because he is afraid of what could happen to his family if Itachi died.

When he arrived at his home, he saw that his father was looking at the genkan and saw that there are two unfamiliar sets, one of an adult woman and the other of a boy around his size.

He followed his father into the living room. Here he could see that his mother was hugging his brother while a woman that had clothes of the Hyūga clan was sitting beside a boy that looked very tired.

Wait a minute, he knew that blonde kid.

"What are you doing here fool?"

"Sasuke! Mind your manners, he is a guest!"

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?"

"I like here, now answer the question."

Before Naruto could answer his mother stopped him.

"I asked him to come here and see Itachi," was his mother's answer; but in that moment, he saw how she looked at his father and then turned to see the woman next to her.

What that meant, he didn't know, but his father did.

"I believe that it is time to take our leave," said the Hyūga woman while she took Naruto's hand and began to walk.

"Wait!" said Itachi as he walked towards them until he was right in front of Naruto.

"I want to thank you for what you did for me; you have a great talent and I am sure that you will do amazing things in the future, and one day I will repay this debt."

"It was nothing; you should thank Akane-sama because she was the one that asked me to come."

"I will." said Itachi.

"_How can this be possible!" _thought Sasuke, that fool was a good for nothing and now his brother is praising him, and for what? He did not see any difference.

When that Hyūga woman and the fool left their home, his father turned to his mother.

"What was all this?"

"As you can see, Akane came to deliver a solution to Itachi's condition."

"But how? From all that I know she should be dead by now."

"That could be the case but thankfully she discovered that young Naruto had a gift in the healings arts and now Itachi will recover. AFTER he has rested until he is fully recovered," says Mikoto, stressing the first word to make Itachi understand that this time he must follow her instructions.

"Is it true son? Are you cured?"

"I cannot say for certain, but I feel better than I did before so I take that as a good sign."

"We must be certain about this; I will go and call a clan medic to confirm this."

He did not wait for an answer and left the compound while his mother sent Itachi to his room so he can rest.

How he should feel about what has just happened? If his brother recovers, does that mean that his father will treat him the same as before? What about the fool? He heard how Iruka said to the class that Naruto can use a healing jutsu, but the doctors at the hospital could too. Could it be that the fool has a real talent for something? Enough to make his brother impressed with him? That cannot be! It is not fair! He trains all the time to impress his family and now that idiot came and in one hour managed to get something that he has always wanted.

Yes, he is thankful that his brother will recover, but if that fool believes that he is better than him just for this, then he will show him his true place.

**Back with Naruto and Akane.**

"Are you ok? This time looked harder than when you helped Yakumo-chan."

"I know, for some reason it was harder to use my chakra this time."

What Naruto did not know was that Kurama did not want to help an Uchiha at first but after a while, he decided that having them owe a favor to Naruto could be something worthwhile, so in the end he accepted to give him his chakra to help Itachi.

"By the way, how do you feel?"

"Today the doctors gave me their approval to return to my duties as a Shinobi," said Akane with a smile.

"That is great! I am sure that Hinata and Hanabi will be happy to hear that."

They continue to talk while they are walking until they had to take different roads. Without knowing that this day, he had gained an ally and his worst enemy, but that story will be revealed to him in the future.

**The next day.**

"All right class now we will have some sparring, taijutsu only; the first ones will be the girls," said Iruka as he saw his students around the sparring area.

One by one, the girls stepped up to face each other; the first one of Naruto's group of friends to fight was Yakumo.

Normally, Yakumo's sickness would have made it impossible for her to participate in this kind of exercise, but it had been some time since Naruto helped her and thanks to her training sessions with him and the Hyūga sisters, she has really improved a lot and this will be her first chance to prove it.

Her opponent was Amy, another of Sasuke's fangirls. She personally did not know what was so special about him; not that she is interested in any boys now that she has the chance to become a ninja, something that she almost lost once, and she does not have any intention to lose this new opportunity that she has received. Besides, when the time came to date a boy, instead of a rude and dark boy, she preferred a nice and interesting one.

"Looks like the sick doll managed to get into the ring; I hope that you enjoy this experience, because I will send you back to the hospital."

Yakumo said nothing and just waited for Iruka's signal.

"Begin!"

Amy did not lose any time and jumped to attack Yakumo, believing that it will be an easy win that will make her look better in front of Sasuke.

"Take this!" she said as she launched a punch to Yakumo's face, only to see how the world spun around as she landed on her back.

"AHHHHH!" she screamed in pain.

"The match is over; winner Yakumo." said Iruka.

"This is it? I was expecting something more interesting," said Yakumo; she has just used a move that Naruto taught her.

"When an opponent attacks you head on, they will leave their defense open; if you manage to change their center of gravity by applying a little push to their feet and the fist that they are attacking you with, you can use their own strength against them." The theory seemed simple, but it took her a lot of practice with Naruto, Hinata and Hanabi to learn that technique.

Seeing how Amy lost with a single move, it showed her that all her hard work has paid off; now that she thought about it, it is almost as if Naruto knew the kind of style that it will work for her.

"You did great Yakumo!" Said Naruto, with Hinata and Hanabi nodding their heads.

"Okay, the next ones will be Hinata and Ino."

The two girls stepped into the ring.

"I hope that you do not take this personally Hinata, but I have to win." said Ino.

"Let's do our best!" said Hinata.

"Begin!"

Ino began the match with a strike that Hinata easily avoided, followed by a kick that Hinata avoided just as easily.

"You are too open Ino, try to keep your guard up when you attack."

Ino ignored those words and tried to get close so she could kick her, but Hinata once again avoided the attack.

"You are telling me what kind of moves you are going to make before you even attack; that could be dangerous if an enemy took advantage of it."

"Can you take this seriously?"

"I am serious."

"Then fight me!" said Ino as she kept attacking, but Hinata was still able to avoid each one of her attacks. From the corner of her eye she saw how Sasuke seemed uninterested in her, so she charged right at her.

But this time Hinata not only avoided her attack, she landed a single palm strike in her solar plexus, leaving her gasping for air and forcing her onto her knees. but she managed to raise her head.

"I thought that we were friends!"

"We are, that is why I did this."

"I used to hold back because I was afraid that I will hurt my friends and that they will hate me. But Naruto-kun taught me that by holding back I am only hurting my friends by making them believe that they are better than they actually are," said Hinata as she looked at Ino. "You are good Ino, but you are not ready yet; you need to focus more on your training."

"Winner Hinata."

"You were amazing Hinata!" said Naruto.

"That's right!" said Hanabi.

Yakumo was smiling at her.

"Ok, the next one will be Sakura and Hanabi."

"Yeah I am lucky; I am facing the little princess!" said Sakura that was next to them.

"Excuse me?!" asked an angry Hanabi.

"Do not take it personally little princess, but we all know that you are only here because of your clan. Well, all the better for me because now Sasuke-kun will see how great I am!" and with that Sakura got into the sparring area.

"That little…" whatever Hanabi was about to say, she was stopped when her sister put her hand over her shoulder. Believing that her sister was about to stop her from saying what she was thinking about the pink haired girl, she remembered her position as a Hyūga. "I am sorry Hinata-onēsama."

"Teach her a lesson." was Hinata's reply with a small smile.

Hanabi looked at her surprised by what she had just said; it is true that her sister has become more confident than before. Little by little, she has begun to show it more openly.

"Are you sure?" asked Hanabi.

"Hey little princess, the match is scheduled for today!" said Sakura from the center of the ring.

"Pretty sure." said Hinata.

With that Hanabi stepped into the ring with a predatory look on her face, she said nothing as she waited for the signal to begin the fight.

"Begin!"

"Now you will GRAHHH!" whatever Sakura was about to say got lost when in a blink of an eye Hanabi jumped and punch her stomach.

"Did you say something?" mocked Hanabi.

Sakura tried to strike back only to miss her target while Hanabi turned around and punched her back.

"I am waiting for my lesson."

"YOU!"

Sakura stood up again and tried to attack her, but with such a simple form and the technique learned in the academy she was no match for someone who has trained her entire life in a clan that specialized in taijutsu.

Her charge ended when Hanabi moved aside, avoiding her attack and spinning over her own body. Hanabi managed to place herself behind Sakura and with a little kick, Sakura lost her step and fell out of the ring, right at the feet of Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun!" said Sakura hoping that Sasuke will help her stand up, but that never happened because Sasuke only looked at where Naruto and the girls were.

"Winner Hanabi!"

After that, a couple of other girls stepped into the ring and had their match, but they were nothing special.

Then came the turn of the boys.

One by one the stepped into the ring, but there was nothing special. Shikamaru asked if he could quit the match before it even started and Chouji did not want to leave his potato chips; the only decent match was between Kiba and Shino, this being won by Kiba.

"Now the next one will be Naruto and…"

"I will go." said Sasuke.

"Are you sure?" asked a girl.

"Yeah, why fight that fool? He is an easy win and you cannot show how great you are!" added another one.

But Sasuke just ignored them and even without the confirmation of Iruka he stepped into the ring in front of Naruto.

Seeing that is the end, and both must have a training match, Iruka allowed this to happen.

"Begin!"

Naruto barely managed to avoid a punch that Sasuke launched at his face, but the danger did not end there as a spinning kick almost got him.

Naruto took advantage of the moment that he missed to make a leg sweep that got Sasuke and made him fall onto his back, but he jumped up and kicked at Naruto's side, with Naruto blocking it but still taking a couple of steps back.

Not wasting any time, Sasuke attacked again, trying to hit him in the head, but using his left hand Naruto changed the trajectory of the attack to one side, leaving Sasuke open to an attack, something that he took advantage of by launching a kick aiming for his stomach, but Sasuke saw this and jumped back to avoid the attack.

Now that they were in front of each other, they took their fighting stances, with Sasuke taking the one that has been used by his clan for generations.

Naruto for his part was using a stance that no one has seen in many decades, but in this moment no one knows that, because he is using Hashirama's stance.

Soon they attack each other again, with hits and strikes flying between each of them, with no one getting the upper hand.

"What is happening?" asked a boy from the group.

"Naruto is supposed to be an easy win!" said another one.

"This is troublesome, but if Naruto keeps getting better, he will no longer be the dead last and my mom will force me to train more so I don't get that position." said Shikamaru.

The fight keeps going without a clear winner when Iruka stops the fight.

"That is enough," said Iruka as he stepped between the two of them. "I am happy to see that you have been practicing."

"But no one won Iruka-sensei."

"It is not always about a win, today you had the chance to see how far you have improved so you can see what you still need to work on."

While Iruka was saying this Sasuke was looking at Naruto. How was it possible that the dead last has managed to tie a match with him? This means that either he is weak or the fool is getting better.

"…suke" he heard a voice.

"Sasuke!" it was Iruka. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah." said Sasuke without emotion as he left the ring without saying anything.

"Wait Sasuke-kun!" said Sakura as she ran after him.

"What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with my training so I can teach that little princess a lesson the next time?"

"Why should I waste my time with someone as weak as you?" said Sasuke as he kept walking leaving a sad Sakura behind.

After that day, Sasuke took every opportunity to compete with Naruto, in everything; Naruto for his part took it as a challenge and was happy to comply by doing his best.

Sasuke was mad, even the girls that are close to Naruto are strong, at least stronger than the annoying fangirls that are always pestering him. That thought caused Sasuke to consider that maybe one of them is the one helping Naruto to get stronger.

That is something that he needed to know.

At the end of the day, when the classes ended, the students were packing their things before they can leave. So far all this was normal, but today, something that no one had expected happened.

"Hyūga-san, I would like to talk with you." Said Sasuke surprising everyone.

"About what?"

"I would prefer to talk in private."

"I see." Hinata turned to see Naruto, Hanabi and Yakumo, "Please wait for me at the main gate; I will be there in a moment."

"Are you sure that you want to do it?" asked Hanabi.

"We will only talk."

"We will wait for you, and if he says or does anything rude to you, just tell me and I will teach him a lesson," said Naruto.

Hinata smiled at him, then turned to face Sasuke. "I had an appointment with my clan after class, so if you want to talk, I can only give you a few moments."

"I just want to ask you something."

With that, Sasuke and Hinata walked away.

However, that little talk did not go unnoticed by the other girls in the class.

"Did you see that?" said one of them

"Sasuke-kun never talked with anyone, but now he is asking to talk with that Hyūga, why?" said another one.

"You don't believe that he likes her?"

"That is not true!" said Sakura joining the conversation.

"But he never talked with any of us!"

"Sasuke-kun will never like a girl like Hinata in a million years," said Sakura.

"Even if that is the case, I believe that there must be something." said Ino for the first time.

"What do you mean Ino-pig?"

"Like it or not, in this moment Hinata is the strongest girl in our class; maybe that is why he is interested."

"I do not understand what you are trying to say!" said an angry Sakura.

"That Sasuke-kun likes strong girls."

"I don't know about you, but I have the best score in the academy."

"And when has that impressed Sasuke? Hinata showed that she is strong, and now Sasuke wants to talk to her. You can graduate with the highest book grades and Sasuke will not care, but if I show him that I am stronger, he will want to be with me."

"You? Please! You are probably the weakest person in the room. Ha, as if you are better than me!"

"Maybe not, but at least I have a plan."

"A plan?" asked Sakura.

While they are talking in the back garden of the academy Sasuke and Hinata arrive.

"Did you want to ask me something?" asked Hinata.

"What did you do to help the fool to become strong in such a short time?"

"Excuse me?"

"That fool has grown stronger over the time since he became a close friend of yours; he is an orphan with no clan to support him, and the only thing that I can think of that explains how he has improved is that you or someone of your clan has been helping him."

"What made you believe that I'm the one that helped Naruto-kun to get stronger?"

"Because you are from a noble clan and no one else cares for that loser, so you should stop wasting your time on him."

"I will appreciate it if you do not call Naruto-kun a loser or a fool, because he is nothing like that," said Hinata in a cold voice.

"You need to see the reality; you are from a noble clan and you are hurting your image and future by associating with that idiot."

"You are crossing the line by calling him that, and who is the person that couldn't win against him today?" said Hinata with a dark shadow over her eyes.

That was something that Sasuke did not like to hear.

"I am trying to do you a favor because we belong to noble clans."

"I do not need any favors from you and just so you know, you are wrong; it wasn't me or my clan that helped Naruto to become stronger. It was Naruto that helped me, my sister and Yakumo to become stronger, so your advice is neither needed or wanted, have a nice day," said Hinata, leaving before Sasuke had the chance to say anything more.

"The fool helped her to become stronger? That is ridiculous," said Sasuke as he left as well.

At the main gate.

"That was fast, what did he want?" asked Naruto.

"Nothing worthy of my time," said Hinata in a normal voice, but her friends knew that she was furious.

"Did he say something to bother you Onē-sama?"

"Not about me, about Naruto-kun."

"What did he say?" asked Yakumo.

"He asked if my clan is the reason why he has improved and asked me to stop that help."

"But no one has helped Naruto to get this strong, he had to do it alone," said Hanabi.

"But he didn't know that," added Yakumo.

"We will teach him a lesson," said Hanabi.

"It doesn't matter," said Naruto. When the girls looked at him, he continued. "He is not saying anything worse than what I have heard before; besides, you know the truth and that is all that matters to me."

The three girls looked at him; he seemed calm, but Hinata knew that he was sad and was trying to hide it.

Seeing him getting hurt was something that made Hinata angry, something that was getting more apparent as she gained more confidence and her personality grew to be more secure with herself.

"Excuse me?" said a voice from behind them. It was Ino, with Sakura standing just behind her.

"Yes?" asked Naruto.

"I was wondering if you will allow us to train with you?" asked Ino.

This was something that they did not expect.

"Why?" asked Yakumo.

"Well, what happened today taught us that we need to improve, and since you are the group that has improved more than anyone else I was wondering if you can help us?" said Ino in a sweet voice.

The girls for their part knew that she was up to something, but Naruto spoke, completely oblivious to their concerns.

"Sure, we train together three days per week after class; if you want you can join us tomorrow."

Yep, he still didn't know how to read girls. Hinata and Hanabi recalled the words of their mother about how girls may come after Naruto when he began to show how good he really is.

"Thank you, I will be counting on you from now on," and with that Ino left with Sakura following her.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" asked Hanabi.

"About what?" asked Naruto.

Hanabi was about to say something but Hinata put a hand on her shoulder; when she turned to see her she only shook her. Hanabi understood what her sister meant, even if she told him what she believed about this situation he will still have no clue about this.

Without saying anything else, they walked away.

In a different part of the village, Ino and Sakura were talking.

"This is your plan? Ask the class clown and his friends to train with us?"

"Yes." said Ino with a big smile. "I don't remember having to force you to agree."

"That was because I was a fool to believe that you may have a good idea."

"You do not understand."

"What do I need to understand?"

"Sasuke-kun is only interested in strong girls, but also the ones that are trying to become the strongest, especially if they are close to Naruto."

"You are crazy!"

"Really forehead? Then can you explain to me why after years of being in the same class with Hinata, he only now paid attention to her, just when she showed how strong she was after she spent time with Naruto? If you want to leave, that is fine by me, but you will regret it when in a couple of months Sasuke-kun comes looking after me."

Even if Sakura did not want to admit it part of her believed that this may actually a good idea. Oh what that hell; she will give it a try.

**Back with Naruto.**

This was one of the days where Hinata, Hanabi and Yakumo had to train with their clans, so Naruto was training alone in his favorite spot in the forest.

"AHH man, why I can't do this?!" said Naruto as he saw how the seed in his hand had not changed at all. It had been around a year since he discovered that one of the men that he saw in his dream was the first Hokage.

In the last year, many things had changed; his friendship with Hinata had grown and he became friends with her sister Hanabi as well. He even managed to help her mother using a technique that he saw that other man with the white clothes use. Maybe he was a doctor? After that he even healed Yakumo and Itachi.

Either way, in all that time he had been trying to use the Mokuton that the book said was what made the first Hokage so powerful, but with no success.

After a while, he decided to begin to practice the forms that he saw in his dreams last night. It was another dream of the first Hokage training with his brother.

It was a form meant for two people, but because he was alone, he decided to create a Shadow Clone and began to practice.

He had been practicing for about thirty minutes when a couple of voices attracted his attention.

"Excuse me boy," said an old man that was carrying a big cooking pot on his back that was accompanied by a small old man wearing a yellow jacket.

"Yes?"

"We were wondering where you learned that form?" asked the one with the yellow jacket.

"Who are you and why do you want to know?"

"Oh, I'm sorry we forgot to introduce ourselves; my name is Kosuke and this is my friend Chen."

"Nice to meet you," said Chen.

"I am Naruto, but why do you want to know about that form?"

"Just curious; it looked a lot like the form that someone that we knew used to practice." answered Kosuke.

For Naruto being the focus of attention was something nice, but then he remembered something that Akane told him.

"I am sorry, but Akane-sama told me that ninja must have their own secrets and that they do not have to tell them to just anyone."

"That is a very good advice." said Chen.

"Indeed; by the way when you said Akane, you wouldn't happen to be talking about Akane Hyūga, would you?"

"Did you know her?"

"Well, when you have been a genin for around fifty years, at one point or another you have crossed paths with some of the most famous shinobi of this village; Akane happened to be one of them."

"GENIN FOR FIFTY YEARS?! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" asked a surprised Naruto.

"Well, many things happened."

"Don't let that fool you; even if he is a genin his real level is an elite jōnin."

"Then why he is still a genin?"

"As you just said, every ninja has their secrets," answered Chen.

"By the way, did you also know Akane-chan?" asked Kosuke.

"She is the mother of two of my friends, and she is super nice to me."

"The last thing that I heard about her was that she was very sick."

"Yes, she was, but she got better; she even said that soon she will be able to go back to her job as a ninja."

"That is really good to hear; I will pay her a visit if that is the case."

After he said that, he and Chen walked away, while Naruto kept practicing.

"What are you thinking?" asked Chen

"The same thing that you are." answered Kosuke.

"About how an orphan boy is practicing the same form that Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama taught us all those years ago when we were just little kids?"

"Correct."

"How are you planning to get answers?"

"By talking with the only person that may know them."

"Akane? Well you will need to go alone."

"Still want the entire village to believe that you are dead, except for your family?"

"As you just said, all ninja have their secrets."

A few moments after they parted ways, Kosuke was in front on the Hyūga compound. Normally, the guards would tell him to go away, but he was well known by many shinobi. Therefore, when he asked to talk with Akane, one of the guards went to look for her.

"What a surprise, I did not expect to see you so soon; how have you been Kosuke?"

"I am fine and glad to see that the rumors about your recovery were true."

"It was a welcome surprise, but something tells me that you aren't here to talk about the old times."

"I just wanted to ask you something about a boy named Naruto, do you know him?"

"He is the best friend of my two daughters."

"I see. By any chance do you know how he learned the basic form for the style that the first and second Hokage used to train?"

"Tell me everything," said a serious Akane as they moved inside to talk about what had just happened.

**Time skip five months**

For the last five months, things had been getting remarkably interesting for Naruto. In the days when he had to train alone, Kosuke and Chen had come to give him some advice and little by little they had begun to teach him what they knew, even if at the beginning Chen said that he did not want to teach another student.

However, after a few weeks of training, either because he was bored or because Naruto managed to win him over a little, Master Chen showed him his technique; the Konoha Ryūjin.

Little Naruto was incredibly surprised to see that technique, and as any other aspiring ninja would he began to ask him to teach him that technique. However, Chen said him that he needed a wind affinity in order to use that technique.

When Naruto asked what that was, Kosuke taught him about chakra affinities, then after a few days he brought some chakra papers to test his affinity.

"Now Naruto, the only thing that you need to do is concentrate a little of your chakra into this paper; if the paper burns you have a fire affinity; if the paper gets wet you have a water affinity; if the paper crumbles to dust you have an earth affinity; if the paper wrinkles you have a lighting affinity and if the paper splits in half then you have a wind affinity."

"All right! Let's see what amazing affinity I have!"

Said Naruto as he focused his chakra over the paper. What happened next was something that neither Chen nor Kosuke expected; the paper split in half with one part getting wet and the other crumbling to dust.

"What does this mean?" asked a confused Naruto.

"It means that you are a very special boy; it looks like you have affinities for water, earth and wind." Said Kosuke. "We will need time to see how to proceed from here."

"By the way, can I keep the other papers? I have friends that I am sure will want to know their affinities."

"Sure, that is no problem."

That ended the training for that day, but for Naruto this was not over, because that night he saw in his dream when the first Hokage was training in a waterfall. The images of his training seemed to move past the seasons, from spring to winter and in each of the images Hashirama grew older, but the more important thing was that the progress he achieved in his training was also present. He saw how the first Hokage went from creating a small earth knoll to great a big wall, and from raising a little ball of water from the waterfall nearby to creating a water dragon.

**Ino point of view. Next day.**

She still cannot believe that this was her idea. When she told Sakura that if they became closer to Naruto and became stronger Sasuke would want to pay attention to them, part of her did not believe that. However, she wanted to bother Sakura, because she knew that she would do anything to impress Sasuke.

She has hoping that after a few days Sakura would have given up, so she could have made fun of her. However, the forehead did not give up and even when she told her that maybe she should quit, her only answer was that "I will not allow you to get closer to Sasuke-kun than me."

That was her answer, even if she had to force herself to train with Naruto and the others, but she had to force herself to be nice to them even if she did not like them.

For her part Ino wanted to give up, but her father had seen her progress and asked her if she had been training for her part; when she told him that she had been training with a group of classmates after class, her father practically told her that she must continue with this routine. "_Me and my great ideas,_" she thought to herself.

Now she was following Naruto and the others to their training ground, but she must admit that she was getting stronger; who knew that Naruto could be so good when he was training others?

"Just wait until you see what I have to show you."

**Sakura point of view.**

She can't believe that she accepted Ino-pig's idea; not only does she have to spend time with that dead last, and his 'special' friends, but with Ino as well.

Now she was covered in sweat and dirt at the end of every day. She would die if Sasuke-kun saw her in that state, but this also had its advantages, because after a couple of weeks of doing this, just when she was about to quit, she saw how Sasuke was looking in her direction.

Maybe this plan was not such a bad idea; the final proof that she was doing the right thing was when Ino tried to convince her to quit. She must have seen how Sasuke-kun was looking at her and now she wanted all his attention for herself.

However, that will not happen; she has been working too hard playing nice with that fool Naruto and his friends on top of this crazy training they do every day that they can.

However, all this will be worth it if she managed to make Sasuke-kun fall in love with her.

"Just wait until you see what I have to show you," said Naruto, attracting her attention.

"What is it?" asked Hanabi.

"This," said Naruto as he showed them the chakra paper.

"Paper?" asked an incredulous Sakura.

"But not just any piece of paper. This paper can tell you the jutsu that you can do better, just look," said Naruto as he put a little of his chakra into the paper obtaining the same result as yesterday.

"The old man Kosuke told me that if the paper burned you had a fire affinity, if the paper got wet you had a water affinity, if the paper became dust you had an earth affinity, if the paper wrinkled you had a lighting affinity and if the paper split in half you had a wind affinity."

"A genin that I met."

"But if he is a genin, how can he be an old man?" asked Yakumo.

"Because he has been a genin for around fifty years."

"What? How can you take advice from a person that has been a genin for fifty years?" asked a surprised Ino.

"I am not sure why he is still a genin, but he is super strong; he even knows Hinata and Hanabi's mother."

"He must have his reasons," said Hinata as she got closer to Naruto. "What do I need to do?"

"Just take a piece of paper and put your chakra into it."

Hinata did that and then "crahh," the piece of paper split in two.

"Hinata-chan you have wind."

"Me next," said Hanabi as she took a piece of paper.

Hanabi's paper got wet.

"You have water Hanabi."

"I wanted to be wind like Onē-sama."

"Do not worry; water is an amazing affinity, just as you are also amazing." This caused Hanabi to blush.

"I am the next one," said Yakumo who saw her paper wrinkle.

"You have lighting Yakumo."

"Well I suppose that I am next," said Ino who also saw how her paper wrinkle.

"You have lighting as well," said Naruto as he turned to see Sakura and offer her the last paper.

"Oh well. Let's give it a try," said Sakura as her paper turned into dust.

"You have earth, Sakura."

"A worthy element for someone like you," said Ino.

"What did you say?" answered an angry Sakura.

"I wouldn't say that is a bad element; after all the first Hokage had an earth affinity," said Naruto to calm them down.

"Don't joke around Naruto," said Sakura.

"It is true," said a voice from behind them. Someone that Naruto had only met once.

"Itachi-san," said Naruto.

"Hello there Naruto."

"Are you sure that you can be outside?"

"The doctors said that I am fine, and I just decided to train a little; that is when I heard you."

"Naruto, do you know this person?"

"Ah, sorry I forgot to introduce you; he is Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother."

"Nice to meet you all."

"You are Sasuke-kun's brother?" said Ino and Sakura at the same time.

"Yes, I hope that my little brother hasn't caused you any trouble."

"There is no way for that to happen, Sasuke-kun is super nice," said Sakura, trying to score a few points with her future brother-in-law, while Hinata, Hanabi and Yakumo rolled their eyes.

"Did you say that the first Hokage had earth affinity?" asked Ino trying to attract the attention of Itachi.

"That is correct; in fact I am surprised that you are already learning your elemental affinities, normally you learn about that when you are genin or chūnin."

"We are trying to be the best in the academy," said Sakura, hoping to leave a good impression with Itachi," while the other girls made a face like they have tasted something bitter when they heard Sakura say that.

"It is good to see how academy students are giving their best," said Itachi.

"Thank you; do you have some advice about our elements affinities?" said Naruto.

"Elemental jutsu are advanced compared with what you saw in the academy; not only in the complexity, but also in the physical requirements, so for now I would recommend for you to increase your stamina and chakra control, that way it will be easier to train your elemental affinity."

"Thank you, Itachi-san," said Sakura, still trying to look good in front of him.

"This is nothing, besides; I owe Naruto big time."

"You do?" asked Ino.

"Yes, I do; Naruto has an innate talent as a healer and I would not be surprised if in the future he made a big name for himself in that field."

After that Itachi gave them a few more pointers before he left.

"I have to go; if I want to go back to active duty I must focus on my training, but if I have time I can come and give you some more advice."

"That will be great!" said Naruto.

**A few moments later in another training ground. Sasuke was training alone.**

"Is this the best that you can do?" Sasuke heard a voice from behind.

When he turned to see who it was, he saw a man in the top of a tree with an ANBU mask, but there was something rare with his mask; it only showed his left eye and it had a spiral pattern.

"Who are you?"

"Just someone that was passing by."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing special, I just wanted to confirm if the rumor was true; that the younger brother of the prodigy Itachi was a failure."

Sasuke did not like to hear that so he took a couple of shuriken and thrown them at him; however, the man caught them with a single hand.

"Truly disappointing. I can see why your brother has begun to train that Naruto boy instead of you; he probably saw that the class clown had more potential than you."

"My brother will never waste his time with that loser."

"Then why don't you ask him or even better, the girls that are always with Naruto? I believe that two of them used to follow you, but I guess they saw the same thing that your brother did: that you are useless."

After he said those words, he just disappeared.

"Who the hell does he think he is?"

That night, Sasuke wanted to ask Itachi if what that strange ANBU told him was true, but he could not. A part of him kept repeating in his head that there is no point, that it was a lie, but another part of him was worried that what he said could be true.

For that reason, the next day he did something that he never expected to do; he called for one of those annoying fan girls that bothered him so much.

"Sakura, do you have a minute?" said Sasuke, he didn't care who gave him the answer, so he asked the first one he saw, which happened to be Sakura as they were walking to the Academy.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun!" to Sakura this was unbelievable; Sasuke-kun was calling for her.

"I would like to ask you something."

"Yes?" said Sakura with hope that he will ask her for a date, or even better, to be his girlfriend.

"Is it true that you have been training with Naruto and that my brother has been helping all of you?"

"Yes," was Sakura's immediate answer, even if the question was not what she was expecting; she was still happy that Sasuke-kun is finally paying attention to her. "_Take that Ino-pig_!" she said in her mind.

"I see," said Sasuke in a dark tone that Sakura did not notice; she was so happy that he talked to her that nothing else mattered. If only she could hear what Sasuke was thinking in that moment she would not have been so happy.

Sasuke for his part kept walking toward the academy, with Sakura following with a big smile on her face.

However, this is not over for Sasuke, as the last thing that he wanted to happen will happen when Iruka called for this week's sparring session.

"You have advanced little by little in these sparring matches, but now it is time to increase the level, because as you know in real life many of the fights that you will find in your career will not be fair; we will proceed with a new way of training."

Then looking at the students around him, he showed them four scarves of different colors, white, blue, yellow and red.

"I will place these scarves on you and you will move to the four corners of the sparring area, then when I say one color of one of you, the other three have to attack him until I say another color, then all of you will have to attack the one with the new color that I said; we will keep doing this until all four of you have faced the other three."

"But that is too intense!" said one of the girls.

"What is the point of training in this way?" said another boy.

"Because this way you will learn to fight against multiple enemies at the same time, and by attacking a single person with the help of your teammates you will learn to coordinate efforts to take your enemy down."

"But that is not fair!"

"Life and war are never fair. Oh, and from now on, girls and boys will be sparring together."

With a final complaint from many of the students, Iruka began to call them four at a time.

Yakumo and Hanabi had to be in the same group, and while Hanabi dominated the group, Yakumo showed that she is not that far behind; nothing bad considering that half a year ago she was about to abandon her dream to become a ninja because of her health.

Sakura and Ino were in the same group with another two boys, but to the surprise of everyone, they put up a good fight.

"Now will be Naruto with the red color, Amy with the white, Kiba with the blue and Chouji with the yellow."

"Wait." said Sasuke.

"Is there something you want to ask Sasuke?"

"I want to fight that fool."

"He has a name and you recently had a match with him; just wait and another chance will appear."

With that said Naruto and the other three stepped into the ring.

"Begin, attack the blue one"

With that said all the other three began to attack Kiba.

But while this was happening, with the group of students that were looking at the fight we saw how Sasuke walked towards a single student.

"Did you need something, Sasuke-san?" said Hinata without turning to see him.

"Nothing; I was looking for a better place to watch the matches to see how far that loser will last, especially if he is depending on the pity of others."

"What made you say that?" The cool tone of Hinata was evident.

"He is only a beggar that depends on others to become strong, he has no talent nor even a family; to be honest I don't know how long you will give him support, but I am sure that in the moment that he is alone again, he will go back to being the same pathetic loser that we all know he is."

Sasuke would have said more, but the look in Hinata's eyes when she turned to look at him stopped him cold.

"I do not know what your problem with Naruto-kun is, but you are sadly mistaken if you think that I will ever leave him alone, and you are wrong if you believe that I or anyone else is the reason why Naruto-kun is so strong. The reason why he is so strong is because he is special and once he learns just how amazing he really is he will be unstoppable. That is why Hanabi, Yakumo and I are training, because we want to be able to stand at his side."

"You are fooling yourselves," said Sasuke.

"I see, you are afraid of him."

"I am not afraid of anything!"

"Yes, you are; you are afraid that a boy that grew up alone can become stronger than you, someone that has had all the advantages."

"You don't know anything about me!"

"Neither do you know about Naruto, or me and the others, yet you keep judging us."

"I am saying the truth, and if you keep refusing to believe what I am saying that means that you are also as useless as him."

Hinata did not say anything; she just turned to look at him with cold eyes.

"Ok, that was a good job; the next group to come in will be Sasuke, Mei, Kotaro (another Uchiha) and Hinata," said Iruka that has just ended the previous match.

"It seems that I will have the chance to teach you how weak you are," said Sasuke as he got to the sparring area.

Without saying a word Hinata began to walk, until something caught her attention.

"Do your best Hinata!" said Naruto as they crossed way when he was walking out from the sparring area.

"I will," said Hinata. With a sweet smile that turned into a hard look when she saw Sasuke waiting for her.

"Okay, Hinata will be the white, Sasuke the red, Kotaro the blue and Mei the yellow."

"Begin! Attack the yellow."

Therefore, they began the sparring. One by one, the turn to be attacked was changing, until it was the turn of Hinata to be attacked.

"Now I will teach you a lesson," said Sasuke as he turned to the other two. "You do not interfere."

However, Hinata did not seem worried about that declaration, and that only increased the fury in Sasuke.

Without wasting any time he tried to punch her in the face, something that she avoided without trouble. Sasuke began to use the form that he was taught as part of his clan taijutsu, those movements were powerful and strong, something one would not expect to see in academy sparring.

That was not the only surprise, as Hinata seemed to be dancing as she avoided the attacks, because in the moment that Sasuke gave a small opening Hinata counter attacked, and without compassion or hesitation she hit him in his side, causing a terrible pain that paralyzed his arm.

"ARGG!"

"I am waiting for my lesson," spoke Hinata's cool voice.

That surprised the entire class; seeing that the sweet and gentle Hinata punched Sasuke without remorse is something that they never expected.

Once again, Sasuke tried to hit her with his other arm, only for his strike to be avoided again and receive a hit in his other side.

"ARGG!" screamed Sasuke. "You are using your Byakugan!"

When Sasuke said that, Hinata raised her face and with her hand she moved her hair from her brow revealing her eyes, her normal eyes.

"After training for so long I know the location of the chakra points without my Byakugan, and while I cannot close them without it I still can cause a lot of pain, wouldn't you agree?" asked Hinata as she delivered a punch to his stomach.

"Sasuke-kun!" said Mei (a fan girl) that after having seen how her beloved had been hit, she jumped to his rescue, with the other Uchiha charging with her.

In that moment, Hinata jumped between the two of them and spinning in midair, she attacked the two of them, Mei with a punch and Kotaro with a kick.

"Enough! The match is over," said Iruka as he saw that three of the students are down.

That ended the match, but Hinata was still not finished as she walked towards Sasuke. Then she told him something that only Sasuke could hear. No one knows what she told him but the look of fury on his face meant that it was not something nice.

After that, she just walked away.

That match marked the end of the sparring session and the day.

Today was a day where they would train together; normally they would be talking about everything, but today they were walking in silence with Hinata leading the way.

"Hinata, are you okay?" asked Naruto.

"Did that jerk say something that bothered you?" asked Hanabi.

"I have never seen you so mad; I never even believed that you could get mad," said Yakumo.

"It was nothing," said Hinata.

"Hinata-chan," the way Naruto said her name made her stop. "Please, I know that you are mad, but I am your friend; we are all your friends, and if he said something that offended you I will go and talk to him."

"That is the problem."

"What? I do not understand," said Naruto.

"You only get mad when someone is being mean to any of us, but when someone is mean to you, you just ignore it and tell us to do the same; don't you see that we feel the same thing that you do when someone is being mean to someone that we care about? If someone insulted us and then we told you to ignore it you would feel bad, wouldn't you? It is the same for us."

Naruto remained silent for a moment.

"It is true that I will feel bad, but my case is different."

"How can it be different?" asked Hinata.

"Because I don't know why the people hate me, and if I do not know the reason, then how can I solve that situation? The only thing that I know is that if I get mad I will only make things worse for me, and I don't want my problems to affect any of you."

"I don't care about those problems; we are ninja, and the problems are part of our lives," said Hinata with determination, standing right in from of Naruto. "So please, let us do for you the things that you would do for us."

Naruto saw how serious Hinata and the others were, and it hurt him know that his actions had caused them some trouble; that is the last thing that he wanted to happen.

Hanabi and Yakumo were nodding their heads. Ino and Sakura for their part where looking at their interaction, secretly wishing that they can experience a moment like that with Sasuke.

Talking about Sasuke, when they saw what Hinata did to him Sakura almost screamed at her but Ino stopped her; if they stopped training with them they would lose their chance to attract Sasuke, at least that is what Ino said to Sakura to stop her.

"By the way Onē-sama, what did that jerk tell you to get you so mad?"

"He made fun of how Naruto-kun is an orphan."

"Sasuke-kun would never do that!" Sakura tried to defend Sasuke.

"But he did; to him the fact that someone can surpass him hurts his pride, and the fact that Naruto-kun is doing it alone is even worse for him."

"But…" Sakura tried to say something but Ino stopped her by placing a hand over her shoulder.

"Okay, I promise that I will be more open with all of you; besides I am scared that you will get mad and kick my ass if I don't do it."

"I would never kick your ass Naruto-kun," said Hinata in a sweet smile.

"Really?" asked Naruto.

"Of course, I will just find a way to put some sense into you." Answered Hinata.

"What will you do?"

"I don't want to ruin the surprise," said Hinata as she turned around and walked towards their training area, with a happy step.

"Do you think that she will be mad at me for too long?" Naruto asked Hanabi.

"She is not mad at you; on the contrary she is happy."

"Happy?"

"Because she cares about you and you have just promised that you will take more care of yourself, just like she wanted; besides, you will never break your word, right?"

"Are you telling me that I just did what she wanted?"

"Pretty much, but I have to say that I thank you for what you did for my sister."

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything special."

"It has been around a year since you become part of our lives, and not only have you saved our mother's life, but now Hinata is finally showing the security and confidence that I knew that she had inside her."

"I am happy to hear that, but I never expect that she would change so much."

"In fact, if the stories that I hear from the elders are true, she is beginning to act like mom did when she was around our age."

"Really? I can't imagine Akane-sama in that way."

"Me neither, but the elder that told me that she and two of her friends were knew as the terrible trio."

"I would love to hear those stories," said Naruto.

"I would tell you, but when my mom heard that elder telling us those stories she gave her the order to never tell those stories again, and told us the same, so sorry, but no stories for you," with that Hanabi joined her sister.

"HEY, that is not fair! I want to hear those stories."

"Sorry, but no." said Hanabi.

"Hinata-chan, Hanabi is bullying me."

"Sorry Naruto-kun, but she is my sister and therefore she gets a free pass."

"That is no fair," Naruto complained in a childish way, but later he smiled. "It is good to see that Hinata isn't sad anymore."

"Yes, it is, but now I wonder what future surprises the Hyūga sisters will give us in the future," said Yakumo.

"I don't know, but I am sure that it will be interesting," said Naruto.

Now with a new mood, they headed to the training area, while Ino and Sakura looked at them trying to understand what they had just seen before following them.

While this was happening, in another part of the village, Sasuke was walking towards his home, being followed by a couple of the Uchiha clan boys that were walking behind him; they had offered to help him, but he only got mad.

If someone were to ask what the cause of his attitude was, the answer is simple; what Hinata told him when she beat him as no one has done in his entire life.

"_Naruto-kun is stronger than me, and he just held back the last time that the two of you sparred," _those words were burning Sasuke's mind.

"Hey little brother, are you okay?"

When Sasuke raised his head, he saw his brother Itachi standing at the entryway of the Uchiha compound.

"Yes, I am fine," Sasuke answered.

"Are you sure? You look hurt."

"Today's sparring was a little intense, that is all."

"I see, well it is good that you get these experiences, because they will help you to get stronger."

Even if Itachi was worried about his brother and wanted to give him support. In Sasuke mind the words from that ANBU were present in his mind, his brother helped that loser and their friends to get stronger; he helped them to humiliate him today.

"If you want, I can train with you after class when I am not on missions."

"I will think about that," in the past he would have loved the idea of training with his brother, but now it feels like he is petting him, and he hated that. That night Sasuke began to think what he could do to get even with that Hyūga girl and bother that loser.

End of the chapter. The next one will be ready tomorrow.

Note:

I know that I give Hinata wind affinity and Hanabi water affinity and that this is different from many stories, but I just want to make something different from what has been done before.


	6. The Journey of Souls 06

**Title: The Salvation of the Uchiha Clan - Part 2**

**I want to thank PraetorXyn for being the Beta for this chapter. **

Time is tireless and keeps moving ever forward, and a couple of weeks have passed since that day.

The final tests of this year would be soon, and if he managed to pass them, then that would mean that in just one year, he would be free of the academy and finally become a ninja.

However not all was good news for him, because he still hadn't been able to use Mokuton, and he had begun to doubt that it would even be possible for him, but giving up simply wasn't part of his nature. It was for that reason that he made the promise that before this school year ended, he would be able to make even a small plant grow.

With that goal in mind, Naruto had been staying late while training, hoping that he would be able to achieve his goal. He could never imagine that this was the day that he would achieve his goal, but not in the way that he expected; a way that would allow many of the more important shinobi of the village to know that the Mokuton had returned, and that the Senju clan now had an heir.

Naruto had just called an end to his training for the day, and he was heading to his apartment. He had been training alone today, because the classes were called off; why? He didn't care, any excuse was a good one if it meant that he and his friends could leave the academy early to train. Sadly, today was one of the days that he had to train alone; normally those old men Kosuke and Chen would come to give him some advice, but today they hadn't come.

He was so focused on thinking about how he could potentially awaken the Mokuton that he almost missed it. Something caught his eyes. It was a metallic object; being the curious boy that he was he moved in for a closer look, and when he picked it up he saw that it was a kunai, but this kunai was different from the ones that he was familiar with; this kunai had an extra point.

"Maybe Iruka-sensei will know what it is," said Naruto to himself, but in that moment, something that he couldn't explain told him to jump to his side. Something that he did not a moment too soon, because a second later a couple kunai of identical to the one that he held in his hand landed where he was a second ago.

"Not bad kid," said a voice from the top of a tree.

When Naruto turned toward the voice, he saw that there were three shinobi with clothing that he has never seen before.

"What are we going to do now?" asked the one on the left.

"Yeah, the mission said that no one must know that we were here."

"And that is what will happen after we eliminate that boy over there. Sorry kid, you were just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," said the leader as she threw one more kunai, but this time Naruto used the one in his hand to block it.

All the training that he did in the past had just saved his life.

"What is your problem?! Why are you attacking me?!"

"You are very good kid, I will give you credit, but playtime is over," said the leader as he pulled out a short sword and jumped down to ground level.

Naruto for his part was worried; he could tell that this shinobi is serious. During his training with Kosuke and Chen he realized that while he may be good for his age, he shouldn't try to face a jōnin, especially three of them at the same time, so he did the best thing that he could think of to buy himself some time.

"Take this!" Said Naruto as a cloud of smoke appeared in front of him.

"Please you wouldn't hurt us, right?" said a beautiful blonde girl that appeared with another two right next to her.

"I am sure that we can have a good time," said the other blond.

"We promise that you won't regret it."

The three jōnin stared at the three girls before they destroyed them without mercy.

"Too bad kid, that trick could have worked on useless men, but not on us," said the leader as they removed their masks showing that they were women.

Without wasting any time, the leader took a kunai and jumped toward Naruto, the poor boy tried to run, but the leader was very fast and in less than a second, she was next to him and had stabbed him in the back.

But instead of blood and the scream of pain from the boy she expected, the only thing that she got was a small cloud of smoke as the figure of the boy disappeared.

"He used those clones as a diversion; we must stop him, if the alerts the ninja of this village will have failed our mission."

With that the three women began to follow him, something that they could do because one of them is a sensor type.

"Damn it! I was hoping that the Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Jutsu) would give me more time," said Naruto as he got the memories of his clones.

Knowing that he couldn't out run them he chose to try to hide, hoping to find for an opportunity to either escape or attack from the shadows.

Thankfully Naruto knew this area of the forest and knew the best hiding place, so he managed to get hidden as he reduced his breathing, hoping to also suppress his chakra signature.

And he did it just in time as the enemy ninja arrived in the clearing.

"He is here; I can't tell where because he suppressed his chakra signature, but I can tell that he is here."

"Now that I think about it, I believe that I have seen that kid before," said one of the kunoichi.

"Are you sure?" asked the leader.

"How can you know about a kid from another village?" asked the other one.

"I am not sure," but in that moment she turned around to launch a kunai right at a bush.

Naruto had just jumped from the bush, avoiding the attack.

"There you are," said the leader.

"Wait!" said one of them.

"Now I remember where I have seen his face."

"Why is that so important now? We must kill him anyway; no witnesses, remember?"

"It is important because he is the kyūbi jinchūriki; remember the picture that our spy gave us? He is that boy."

After she said that, the other two kunoichi turned to see Naruto.

"It is true, he really is Konoha's jinchūriki," said the leader.

"How does that change the mission?" asked the other kunoichi.

"We should capture him and take him to our village; if that is not possible, we must kill him to weaken Konoha's power."

"What that hell are you talking about? What is this jinchūrin-whatever? And I 'm not going anywhere with you!" said Naruto, who didn't like what they were talking about.

"It seems that the report is true; they have not even told him that he has a demon sealed inside him," said the leader, remembering the information that their spy gave them.

"Demon? Stop talking nonsense!" said Naruto. He hated that word; after all, that is the insult that many in the village used against him whenever they believed that he couldn't hear them.

"I don't know if I should laugh at you or pity you."

"I don't need anyone's pity," said Naruto.

"Let me guess, your entire life you have been treated like a monster and the people around you don't care if your live or die; in fact, in their eyes your life is worth less than garbage."

Naruto went silent, wondering how they knew that if they are weren't from this village.

"Your silence gave us the answer, and I am sure that you want to know why that is? Why your entire life you have been nothing but a demon in their eyes," said the leader as she made a few signals that her two companions understood.

Naruto knew that he needed to escape from here, but he needed to know the answer that no one in this village would ever tell him.

"Because the night that the kyūbi attacked this village, your fourth Hokage didn't kill him; he sealed him inside a newborn baby so the village could later use him as a weapon."

"That is not true, how can a monster be inside a person?!"

"They are called jinchūriki, people that have demons sealed inside them, as sacrifices that can be used as weapons for the sake of their villages; including you there are nine jinchūriki in this world, each of them have been treated the same as you, as a tool just waiting to be used by their villages."

"No, that cannot be true!" Naruto was so affected by those words that he did not see how the other two kunoichi got behind him in a second and knocked him unconscious.

"Now we need to take him back to our village, I am sure that we will receive a big reward for capturing the kyūbi jinchūriki," said the leader as they proceeded to bind Naruto with ninja wire.

"Damn, if I had known that this would happen I would have brought some chakra suppressor seals; we need to hurry before he wakes up," said the leader.

**While this was happening. Deep inside Naruto's mind, he awakened in a very strange place.**

"Where am I? And why is there water on the floor?" asked Naruto as he began to look around this place that looked like an underground dungeon.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

There was no answer. But he could hear water coming from the hallway that was next to him, so he chose to follow it.

He did not need to walk for awfully long until he found an excessively large cage, so big that it rose to the ceiling.

Forgetting about his current situation, he got closer to the cage.

"I see that you have finally come to pay me a visit," said a deep voice from inside the cage.

"Who are you? What is this place?" asked Naruto.

"We are in the deepest part of your mind, and I am the one that you have learned exists inside of you," with that Kurama used his chakra to illuminate his cage, allowing Naruto to see him.

Normally he would try to attack him through the cage, but this is not a normal situation if this boy really is the reincarnation of Asura.

"So, it is true; I really am a monster."

"Don't make me laugh, there is no way that you could compare to me," said Kurama.

"But you are inside me; how can I not be a monster?"

"Because my father was the same as you."

"Your father?"

"My father was the one that the mortals call the Rikudō Sennin (Sage of the Six Paths)," said Kurama with pride.

"Who?" asked Naruto, who didn't know whom he was talking about.

Kurama almost face faulted when he heard his answer; the only thing that prevented that from happening was his pride.

"I almost forgot how ignorant humans can be."

"Who are you calling ignorant furball?"

Kurama did not react, he just looked at him as he spoke.

"I know that you grew up without parents, but even you must know that you need to respect your older siblings, and to answer your question he is the one that created chakra and what you call ninjutsu, even if his real intention was to create ninshū," said Kurama.

"Ninshū? I have heard that word before."

"Because you heard how that man used it when he was teaching his children in your dreams."

"That is true. Hey, wait a minute! How do you know about my dreams?"

"Because each time that you have those dreams, I also see them."

"But what does this have to do with your father?"

"Don't you get it? He was my father, and the boy in the white clothes that you see was his younger son."

"I do not understand what that means."

"We will talk about that later, but now you have a bigger problem; those ninja are taking you away from here. They want to extract me from you so that they can seal me inside someone from their village; if that happens you will die."

"What?!"

"This is not a game; this is real and your life is at risk, and I am limited to how much I can help you."

"You are going to help me?"

"You and I need to talk, and if you die that will never happen, but as I said I am limited by this cage. I will only be able to give you a little bit of my chakra; that will give you the power to break free, and after that you need to run as fast as you can. Don't try to face them, they are veteran ninja and even with my help I cannot guarantee that you will win; your best option is to run and try to make as much noise as you can to attract others here."

"Really? Thanks, I guess."

"Before you leave you need to know two things. The first is why you have not been able to use Mokuton."

That definitely attracted Naruto's attention.

"In order to use Mokuton, you need to use not only your chakra but the natural chakra that is around you."

"But how?"

"The meditation exercise that you have been practicing with your girlfriends. I have to say that you are lucky; normally, trying to use natural chakra could kill you if you made even a tiny mistake, but fortunately you managed to remember the right way to teach others how to learn to use the natural chakra, so if you manage to join that chakra even if is for a little while, you will be able use it."

"Really? Thanks a lot!"

"The second thing is particularly important. They are trying to kill you; if you have the chance to kill them, do it; it will improve your chance to survive."

"Kill them? I am not sure I want to do that."

"If you die, you won't be able to see those girls ever again."

"I don't know if they will want to be with me if they know about what I have inside me?" said Naruto a little sadly.

"I see, you do not have faith in them; maybe they are unworthy of your time."

"What are you saying? They are my friends so of course they are worthy! In fact, I am lucky to be their friend!"

"You have answered your own question; if they are really your friends then they will accept you; if not that means that they never truly were. Now hurry up, you do not have much time."

With that Kurama sent a wave of chakra that pushed Naruto away.

**Back in the real world **

The three kunoichi were taking Naruto away; he was tied, and the leader was carrying him on her back.

They were rushing, because their plan was only to meet their contact and get the information that they needed about Konoha's forces. But now they had the chance of their lifetimes and have captured the kyūbi jinchūriki; they were lucky because according to their contact he was being taught badly at the academy in order to keep him weak so he could fail in case he became dangerous.

Despite that, the boy showed himself to be better than what they expected from an academy student, but they still managed to capture him, and now they are moving at full speed to leave enemy territory as quickly as they can.

"This mission will make us legends, not like those idiots of Kumo who failed to capture the kyūbi jinchūriki of that time; on the contrary, we have succeeded," said one of the kunoichi.

"Do not celebrate until we get out of the land of fire," warned the leader.

In that moment, without warning, she felt a great chakra wave that came from the boy she was carrying.

"GARRH!" Naruto screamed as he broke the wire that was tying him.

The kunoichi were taken by surprise by the chakra wave and that made them fall, but when they recovered, they saw that Naruto was running back in the direction of Konoha.

"Get him!" said the leader as they began their pursuit.

However, Naruto was using the last of the chakra that Kurama had given him to run as fast as he could.

"I hope this works," said Naruto as he took out a practice explosive tag, a tag meant for academy students to practice; they looked like a normal explosive tag, but instead of exploding with destructive power, they only created a colored smoke cloud with a loud sound.

Taking all the tags that he had, he threw them as high as he could.

"BOOOM!" The sound could be heard throughout the entire area, with smoke clouds of multiple colors.

"Shit! That little monster has revealed our position to anyone that might be looking for us; now we do not have any choice, we have to kill him," said the leader as she began to make some hand signs.

"Raiton: Sandābōru (Lightning Release: Thunder Ball)!" said the leader as she attacked.

Thankfully, a tree that Naruto was next to covered him as he ran next to it, but the power of the explosion sent him flying in another direction.

"Suiton: Arekurū Nami (Water Release: Raging Waves)!" said one of the other kunoichi, her attack hitting Naruto as he was trying to get up.

"GRRRR!" was the sound that could be heard when Naruto hit a tree after he was impacted by the enemy jutsu.

Naruto had never felt so much pain in his entire life. These ninja were trying to kill him, and for the first time in a long time, he felt real fear.

He also felt pain as a consequence of having to use the chakra of the kyūbi to break free from the wire that they were using to restrain him.

"I am going to die; they really are going to kill me!" said Naruto, but in that moment the images of Hinata, Hanabi, Akane and Yakumo appeared in his mind. "NO! I cannot give up, not yet!"

With that, he began to gather what little chakra he had left as he tried to do just what the kyūbi had told him.

"Boss there is a problem! I can feel a lot of chakra signatures coming here at full speed; if we do not leave now, they will capture us!" said the sensor ninja.

"Then I will finish this now!" said the leader, and she began to make the hand signs that would kill the jinchūriki, damaging Konoha's military capacity.

However, the time that she spent listening to her partner's report and making the hand signs was all that Naruto needed.

When Naruto saw that they were planning to kill him with their final attack, he prayed that this would work. But in that moment, he realized something. HE DIDN'T KNOW ANY MOKUTON NINJUTSU!

"DIE! Raiton: Inazuma no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Lightning Beam Technique)!" said the leader.

When the attack was about to hit Naruto, it happened again. A series of images flashed before his eyes. The images of the first Hokage training with his brother, this time his brother had a lightning-like sword.

He was helping to develop a defense against Raiton attacks. The result of that training flashed through Naruto's mind.

"MOKUTON: MOKUSHĪRUDO NO JUTSU (WOOD RELEASE: WOODEN SHIELD TECHNIQUE)!" screamed Naruto at the last moment.

A shock-rocking explosion could be heard as dust covered the area.

"It is done; let's go," said the leader.

But in the moment when they were about to leave, they heard a shout.

"Mokuton: Mokuryū no Jutsu (Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique)!" and from the dust a serpent like dragon sped toward them and grabbed them.

"What is this?!" said one of them.

"This damn thing is made of wood!" said the other one.

"It can't be!" said the leader as she saw how a wood wall stopped right in front of where that boy was, and how the wood dragon came from the bottom of the wood wall.

Then from behind that wall Naruto stepped out, he looked tired and in pain, but the had his hand in a praying position, and from the look on his face he was putting all his effort into it.

"You are a Mokuton user!" said the leader.

"This is bad boss, our pursuers will be here at any moment; we have to get out of here now!" said the sensor type.

"It is too late for that," said a voice from a nearby tree.

When they turned toward the voice they saw a silver-haired jōnin looking down at them from above, and he wasn't alone; a squad of ANBU were with him.

"Why are you leaving so soon? We were hoping to enjoy your company a little while longer, in fact we have prepared a special suite just for you, and you do not need to worry; Ibiki is a great host."

In that moment, the three kunoichi knew that this was over.

In that moment, Naruto, exhausted by the effort lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

By that time, the ANBU had already put chakra suppression seals on them and tied them up with ninja wire; they weren't going anywhere.

However, at the same time another group were looking at the unconscious boy. They knew who he was, but in that moment, they were more concerned about what they had seen him do.

"Tenzō, just to confirm; you were not the one doing this, right?" asked the silver-haired man.

"No, and don't ask me how this is possible, because I have no idea."

"We need to take him to the hospital," said the silver haired man.

**Time skip; the next morning **

The problem with trying to keep a secret in a ninja village, a place where they trained to get the secrets of others, was that the same happened to their own, even if they didn't want that to happen.

That was what the third Hokage was experiencing, as he had to call to a meeting. The reason? Because by now all the major clans and his advisors had heard from an anonymous source that an orphan had used the legendary Mokuton, and to make the matter worse, that orphan was Naruto.

"I never expected this, but now that is happening, I guess I have no choice but to reveal this piece of information."

Said Hiruzen as he was in front of the Shinobi council and his advisors.

"But l will say this once. If this information gets out of this room I will have the one responsible charged with treason, and you had better tell your anonymous source who told you about the events of last night the same."

"Forget that and tell me what has happened to Naruto!" said a worried Akane. Normally, only her husband would be in this meeting, but because of her relationship with Naruto, Hiruzen had also called for her.

Normally, this would be unacceptable, but part of him was happy to see how Akane was really concerned about Naruto.

"This story began in the Third Shinobi World War, when my predecessor Tobirama-sama was still active as Hokage, and the son of the first Hokage was acting as the clan head. As you know, Keitaro-sama lost his wife due to difficulties in childbirth. What neither of you know is that a couple of years later he began a relationship with one of the village girls who worked in their compound. They chose to keep their relationship a secret and wait until the end of the war to get married, but as you know Tobirama-sama died saving mine and my teammates' lives, and Keitaro-sama died six months later."

"But what is the relationship of that story with what happened today?" asked Fugaku. The fact that Mokuton had reappeared in a natural way was something that could have a great impact on his clan.

"The woman who had a relationship with Keitaro-sama was pregnant by the time that he died."

All present remained in silence.

"If that is true, then why have we never heard about this?" asked Shikaku, he already had an idea, but he needed confirmation.

"Because she was fired from her job as servant to the Senju clan."

"But why?" asked Inoichi.

"We are not talking about the child of any clan member, but the son of the clan head and a direct descendant of the first Hokage; they must have wanted to preserve their reputation." said Shikaku.

"I wanted to protest, but I was just recently put in charge and the Senju were a founding clan; the rules about not interfering in internal clan affairs were used, and for that reason I had to respect their decision. However, I still helped the girl to have her baby and find a new job. Unfortunately, she died when her boy was ten years old. I did the best that I could and supported the boy; he even joined the academy and became a ninja. Sadly, he also died on the night of the kyūbi attack, but not before he had his own child, and that child is Naruto."

Now all those present were surprised.

"Why were we not informed of this?!" asked Homura.

"Clan laws; the only one that could allow me to say anything about this is Tsunade, but she left the village before she could accept her position as clan head, and before I could tell her anything about this."

"Are you saying that Naruto is Tsunade's nephew?" asked Akane.

"That is indeed the case."

"I believe that I speak for all those present when I say I don't want to be in the same room as you when Tsunade finds out about this and comes to demand answers," said Shikaku.

All those present nodded in agreement.

"I thank you for this show of loyalty," said a sarcastic Hokage.

"Sorry Hokage-sama, but we would not face an angry Tsunade even for a fortune," added Chōza.

"Back to the topic at hand, we need to determine what we should do; now that Mokuton has returned in a natural way, we must not lose it again," said Shikaku.

"The boy will need special training," said Inoichi.

"If that is the case, I would like to offer my services to train the boy," said Danzō.

"Over my dead body!" was Akane's immediate answer, surprising all those present.

"Akane…" Hiashi tried to calm her.

"Silence! All those present here know what you consider training, and what you do to the people in your charge; I still do not understand why the Hokage has not sentenced you to death."

"Those are strong words for someone who only wants what is the best for Konoha," said a calm Danzō.

"Oh, believe me, I am not saying even half of the things that I think about you, and cut the act of 'what is the best for Konoha;' all those present here know that you only care about what is the best for you! And there is no way in hell that I will allow you or anyone else to hurt that boy!"

"And can you tell me what gives you the right to say those words?" asked Koharu.

"Ever since he cured me and helped my children, I have been looking after him for over a year while the rest of you ignored him," said Akane.

"I have wanted to ask you about your recovery, but are you saying that Naruto is the one that cured you?" asked Shikaku.

"Yes, he did," was Akane's answer.

"But how is that possible?" asked Inoichi.

"Hashirama-sama's chakra had healing powers," was Koharu's answer.

"It seems that Naruto is indeed the true heir of the Senju clan," said Hiashi.

"More reason to allow me to train him," said Danzō.

"That will never happen!" was Akane's answer, defying him without fear.

"Enough! What will happen is that I will send a team to look for Tsunade and bring her home; until then I will assign a special guardian that will help Naruto to develop his powers."

"Are you talking about him?" asked Akane.

"That is correct, Tenzō," said the Hokage as one of his ANBU appeared in front of him.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"From now on you will be the guardian of Naruto, and you will also help him to train in his new powers; also, your new mission will need a more social approach so from now on your name will be Yamato."

"As you command."

While this was happening, inside Naruto's mind.

"Back so soon? Well at least you are alive," said Kurama.

"Many things happened, and somehow I managed to survive and, well, here I am," said Naruto, who now turned to see the kyūbi. "You are different from what I expected."

"Believe me, if the circumstances were any different, I would never have even considered talking with you."

"You said that the old man that I see in my dreams is your dad, right? How is that possible?"

"The only explanation that I can think of is that you are the reincarnation of his younger son Asura, who later reincarnated into your first Hokage."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know, but I can no longer deny that fact."

"What is going to happen now? This means that I am nothing more than a copy of that Asura guy and the first Hokage?"

"That will depend on you; while you have their memories and they have become a tool for you to use, how you use them will determine if you will become a cheap copy of them or if you will surpass them."

"And how I can do that?"

"That will depend on you."

"Thanks, you are nicer than your reputation."

"Do not for one second believe that I am doing this for you; I have my own reasons."

"Really?"

"As long as you have those dreams, I have the chance to see my father again; that is the only reason I am helping you. So try not to die so easily, because I would lose this chance and die alongside you."

"But you can help me with your chakra again?"

"This seal limits what I can do; any ill intent that I have toward you it will stop me, and even if I wanted to help you, the amount of my chakra that your body can handle is limited, so your best option is to grow stronger so that your body can handle more of my power."

"That is what I will do, just wait a little while and I will show you that I will be the best reincarnation of this soul!"

"There is something else, but I cannot confirm it."

"What is it?"

"The only link between Asura and your first Hokage was that they both were able to use the Mokuton and the natural chakra; now that you have awakened both powers, it is possible that your access to their techniques and experiences will be easier, but that is only speculation on my part."

"Amazing! I will become super strong; you really don't look like the monster that the adults said attacked the village."

"Like I care for this stupid village, besides, I didn't attack this village of my own volition."

"Really? What Happened?"

Kurama then began to tell the story about why he attacked the village, leaving out the identity of his previous host.

**Next day.**

A new meeting was taking place in the council room; however, this time there were more people than before, including Itachi and Mikoto. They were here because they had a good relationship with Naruto. Of course, they were told to keep what they are about to hear a secret.

At the moment, Naruto is telling them the events of the previous day, about how he found the three kunoichi and what they said to him.

"So, they say that they knew you because their spy told them about you?" asked an ANBU captain.

"Yes, they first wanted to kill me but when the recognized me they changed their plan to take me to their village," said Naruto.

"Cat, did you find something with them?" asked the Hokage.

"They had documents that told our patrol routes for the next three weeks, as well as the information on some of the clan heirs of the village, including Naruto-san here," said the ANBU with a cat mask.

"How is the interrogation going?"

"Ibiki is making this his top priority, but those documents confirmed that we have a traitor inside the village," said another ANBU.

"As soon as the ANBU said that Ibiki entered the room."

"Ibiki? Did you manage to find something?" asked the Hokage because he didn't expect to see him at this moment.

"I have bad news; those three kunoichi were murdered last night."

"But they were inside a maximum security cell, how is that possible?" asked Inoichi.

"I am afraid that this can only mean that the traitor is covering their tracks, and that whoever they are must have either the skill to get into that cell and kill them or the resources to send someone else," said Shikaku.

"We can't ignore that we are in danger," said Fugaku.

"Naruto, did they say anything else?" asked the Hokage.

"They also told me about the kyūbi that is sealed inside me."

Now the entire room went silent.

"When were you planning to tell me?" asked a serious Naruto.

"Naruto, this is a delicate matter, and I was planning on waiting until you get older to tell you this."

"And in case you had died before that happened, then who would tell me that?" asked Naruto in a cold tone.

"I gave instructions to someone to tell you in case that that happened. But now I need to ask you, what you did the other day, that wooden dragon, how did you do it?"

Naruto remembered the talk that he had with Kurama after he told him about the events on the night of the attack; do not give them too much information.

"About a year ago I saw how some plants reacted to my chakra, so I began to research about what might cause that; Hinata-chan let me borrow a book that talked about the first Hokage. In that book there was a part that mentioned some of the jutsu he could use; that wood dragon is one of them, and because I believed that it would look very cool, I have been practicing ever since."

The adults were impressed, learning that technique alone was something that only a prodigy could do.

"But there is something that I want to ask you; the books said that the Mokuton is a bloodline; that means that it is a power that only a member of the same family can have, so far I believed that what I was doing could be something similar, that maybe only the plants are reacting to my chakra, but last night, it was wood; I can use the same power of the first Hokage, and I believe that I deserve an answer as to why."

The adults present knew that the boy would not be happy about this.

Taking a deep breath, the Hokage told Naruto the story that he told the others the other day, by the end they saw how Naruto was clenching his fists.

"Do you mean that I was part of a family and you never told me?"

"Besides Tsunade who is away from the village and never learned about your father's existence, you are probably the last of your clan, and if our enemies learn about that they will come and try to kill you."

"What about my father?!"

"I am sorry Naruto, but I can only reveal that information once you become a chūnin."

"What the hell old man?!"

"Naruto, manners," said Akane. "I know that you are mad; in fact I am as well, but getting mad will not help you and you need to remember that a ninja is always calm, even in the worst possible situations."

"That is why you should allow me to train the boy; I will teach him how to control his temper and his powers," said Danzō.

"Like I said yesterday, OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

Naruto for his part did not know what to think, just a moment ago Akane-sama had told him to remain calm and now she showed how angry she was toward that man that looked like a mummy.

"Akane-sama?" asked Naruto.

"You can't trust that man, do you hear me Naruto? He is someone that should have been executed long ago, but he has been using his prior relationship with the Hokage and the two advisors to avoid that; if you trust me Naruto, then you must stay away from him."

Akane has just said in public what all the members of the council said in secret, and no one could believe it; the face of the old councilors said that they did not like what she said.

"We are the elders of Konoha, and we are here to make certain that we take the best actions for the village."

"Since when?" said Mikoto supporting her friend Akane.

"I could ask the same of you; after all, your clan is still under investigation for the kyūbi attack all those years ago."

Another bomb was dropped on this meeting.

The suspicion against the Uchiha clan because of the kyūbi attack was a very delicate matter, and many believed that it could get worse if a solution was not found.

"My clan is innocent; we are loyal to Konoha." said Fugaku.

"From all the Uchiha, only Shisui could have controlled the kyūbi with his Sharingan, and we haven't seen him since a week before the attack," said Danzō. "That is why I should be the one in charge of training the boy for the good of the village, look at what the Hyūga clan is doing; they are manipulating him to be loyal to them only, and how do we know that we will not have a new attack planned from them? Maybe they were part of the first attack."

Naruto could now see why no one liked that old mummy.

"_Oi Naruto," it was Kurama, he was talking inside his mind. "There is something strange about that man, listen I want you to say this, I want to confirm something."_

Naruto listened to what the Kurama said and then he interrupted the adults that were arguing.

"I met the kyūbi last night," the entire room got silent after he said that.

"Are you okay?" asked a worried Akane.

"Yeah, it happened last night while I was in the hospital. He said that it was because I used part of his chakra in the fight that I was able to meet him; he was inside a huge cage that was in a place that looked like a dungeon."

"Did he say anything else?" asked a worried Hokage.

"Nothing, he just said that I should leave so he can go back to sleep and keep ignoring me, but when I asked why he attacked the village he told me something strange."

Naruto now has the attention of all those present.

"He said that the one that released him and forced him to attack the village had a very strange smell, he said that it smelled like the first Hokage but he also had a Sharingan, but his Sharingan was strange because he only had it in his right eye."

Then turning to Mikoto he asked.

"Is it normal to only have the Sharingan in one eye?"

"No, when a member of my clan awakens the Sharingan it is always in both eyes; the only way to have a Sharingan in one eye is if it is implanted," answered Mikoto as she looked at Kakashi to reinforce her point.

"I see, but what does he mean by smelling like the first Hokage?"

"Some creatures can tell the power level and even the clan that a ninja belongs to just by their smell, like my clan's ninken," said a woman with red marks on her face.

"But what does that mean?" asked Naruto.

"That beast was probably lying to you," said Koharu.

"That also leads us to another matter," said Shikaku. "We need to confirm if you can use the Mokuton at will or if was just a causality," his goal was to make the meeting advance because they have touched very delicate topics.

"What are you planning?" asked Akane, worried for Naruto.

Shikaku pointed at one small bonsai that was in the corner of the room.

"Naruto, could you please make that bonsai grow a little?"

Kurama, who was listening this meeting, had a big smirk on his face and contacted Naruto once again.

"_Hey gaki, I will give you a little of my chakra, but don't only focus your Mokuton powers on that little tree, focus the biggest part on that mummy man."_

"_Why?" asked Naruto._

"_Just trust me."_

"Okay, I will do it," said Naruto to both the council and Kurama.

Naruto began to make a few hand signs that now felt natural for him, and when he made the last one, all those present could see how a golden chakra was formed in Naruto's hands.

In that moment, the bonsai began to grow a little, but that wasn't the only thing that was happening.

"What the..." said Danzō as he felt how his right arm began to react to Naruto's technique.

He tried to stand up and leave but it was too late, because from under his clothes some deformations could be seen, moving from one side to the other, in the right side of his body, until they finally tore his clothes and a branch could be seen, but that wasn't the biggest surprise, because on his shoulder all those present including his former teammates could see the face of the first Hokage.

"What is happening?" asked Chōza.

"That face, it is the first Hokage's face, and somehow that white part of his body is reacting to Naruto's chakra," said Yamato who was also present.

"Are you sure?" asked Akane.

"This is the same kind of experiment that was done to me by Orochimaru; that means that he has some connection with that criminal and his experiments," said Yamato.

By then the tree had stopped growing, but by doing so it also broke a metal cage that Danzō had around his right arm.

All those present froze when they saw many Sharingan implanted into his body.

There was no turning back; Danzō's secret had been revealed.

"Danzō, how could you? You disgraced sensei's grave too?" it was not a question, but a sad confirmation from the Hokage.

"This has to be something that demon brat did!" Danzō tried to place the fault on Naruto.

"All those present here were present the night of the kyūbi attack. I can tell you that we will never forget the feeling of his chakra, and we did not feel it in Naruto," said Inoichi.

"That also does not explain the Sharingan in your arm, you bastard, how many of my clan did you kill to steal them?!" asked a furious Fugaku.

"How do we know that you didn't do the same to some our clan members that went missing in action, you traitor!" said Hiashi, for the first time in the meeting.

Danzō was in a difficult situation; half his right arm was now a big tree, and his secret was exposed. His only chance was to use his right eye; that would delay his plans for years, but he had no other choice.

"You son of a bitch! Everybody be careful, he has Shisui's right eye!" said Akane with her Byakugan active.

When she felt that a fight would be imminent, she activated her Byakugan, but because she had done some missions with Shisui, she was able to recognize the chakra from his right eye.

"I am going to kill you!" said Mikoto, she was the godmother of Shisui and his disappearance had hurt her deeply; to know that this was what happened to him, oh she will make Danzō and his entire ROOT pay for this.

"ROOT!" said Danzō as two shinobi appeared out of nowhere, one of them using a chakra blade to cut the branch of the tree that was coming from Danzō's arm, releasing him.

Dropping a smoke bomb, they escaped.

"Get him!" it was Fugaku who gave the order.

However, they did not have the chance as another group of ROOT ninja blocked their way.

The fight did not last long considering that they were facing the clan heads of the village plus the ANBU loyal to the third Hokage, but that time was enough for Danzō to escape.

"Damn it, how was it possible for that bastard to escape?!" asked a furious Fugaku.

"We need to calm down and think on our next move," said Shikaku.

"That is easy for you to say. You didn't see the eyes of your clan members in the arm of that bastard! Some of them could be my friends! It is one thing losing them on a mission, but being betrayed by our own village is another!"

"We need to gather more information before we decide what to do," said the third Hokage, but that was a mistake.

"For what, so you can protect your friend as you did with your student Orochimaru?! The blood of every single person that he has killed in his search for immortality is also on your hands!"

"Calm down; getting mad will not do any good in this situation," said Shikaku.

"For years my clan has been blamed for the kyūbi attack, and that bastard even said that only Shisui's Sharingan could have controlled the kyūbi , and the bastard had it in his right eye, and have you forgotten that boy?" said Fugaku as he pointed to Naruto. "Said the man that caused the attack had a Sharingan in his right eye and smelled like the first Hokage. I can promise you that by the end of the day the entire village will know the truth."

"That revelation could damage Konoha," said Koharu.

"And the damage that his actions caused to my clan? Besides, I do not trust you, your councilor friend or the Hokage; how do we know that you are not part of this? You have been covering up his crimes for years, and that makes you either his accomplice or stupid enough that you didn't see his crimes, even when he was sitting right next to you."

"I can promise you that all that we did was for the good of Konoha," said Hiruzen.

"Like with Orochimaru?" was the hard reply.

"He is right," it was Hiashi.

"I lost my brother because that Kumo ninja managed to get to my daughter, but how did he know how to avoid our security? He had internal help and that help cost me my brother; I have spent years looking for those responsible, and now the only suspect is him? Besides that, I have lost clan members over the years in suspicious circumstances, and I don't believe that I am only one, so can anyone here tell me that you are not suspecting that traitor is responsible?"

"This is troublesome, but there is no way what happened here will be kept secret. Also, you are forgetting the enemy ninja that just died in a maximum security cell; Danzō's ROOT could do it, and his escape only makes him look more guilty."

"I can no longer trust you to lead my clan or this village," said Fugaku.

Hiruzen wanted to say something, but he could see that he did not have the support of the council; the disappointment showing on their faces was evident.

"I have an idea," said Naruto, then everyone turned to see him.

"Naruto, this is a serious matter; we do not have time for games," said Hiruzen, trying to fix this situation.

"Just because I pretend to be a fool so the people of this village will leave me alone, does not mean that I am one," said Naruto, who without waiting said his idea.

"Why don't you name an Uchiha as your successor? You take him under your wing and teach him how to be Hokage, and then in a couple of years you can retire."

"That is not something so easy to do," said Hiruzen.

"Why not? As far as I see, that mummy man killed ninja of this village to get more power, and then put the blame on Itachi's clan. They need some form of compensation, and I believe that Itachi would be a great Hokage."

After spending some time with Itachi, he could feel that he was a good person that loved this village and would do anything to protect it.

"The boy's idea has some merit," said Shikaku.

"You can't be serious? Itachi is too young!" said Koharu.

"Just a few years younger than the fourth Hokage, and it won't happen anytime soon; he still has a few more years to learn what he needs to learn," said Shikaku.

"Wait a moment, no one has even asked me if I want to be Hokage?" said Itachi.

"Itachi, my son," said Mikoto. "I know that this is not what you want, but this is the only chance to avoid an internal conflict in the village, and when the other villages learn about what Danzō did, they will see it as their opportunity to destroy us."

"But why not father? I am sure that he has more experience," said Itachi.

"Because I will be needed more than ever as the clan head, and there is also the fact that outside the village your reputation has surpassed mine." said Fugaku.

"I am sorry son, but you are the only hope to avoid massive loss of life," said Mikoto.

"So, no pressure, huh," said a resigned Itachi.

"He will need advisors," said Homura.

"That will not be any of you; face it, the loyalty that you gave Danzō over the years has a price, and today is payday."

"But he will need someone with experience to advise him!" said Koharu.

"This will be troublesome, but if that is the case, I will take that position," said Shikaku.

"This has no precedent." said Homura.

"Neither does a council member being found to be a criminal and a traitor," said Hiashi.

"Besides, when the village learns what happened here, everyone who has supported Danzō will be facing a hard time; there is no way that two of his teammates that supported him over the years will be allowed to stay on the council."

Homura and Koharu saw that they did not have any allies with the clan heads, and any objection would be useless. So, they remained silent.

"Maybe this is for the best," said the Hokage. "I have stayed in this job longer than any of my predecessors; maybe this is a sign that I need to step down and allow the new generation to take over the Will of Fire."

There were many things that still needed to be worked out, but for now a new chapter of the village has been written. Konoha will have its first Uchiha Hokage.

When the clan heads were about to leave, Mikoto stopped right in front of Naruto.

"Before, you were my friend for saving Itachi's life, but after today, you can consider our clan as your friend and ally."

Her husband only nodded his head.

"Well today sure was interesting," said Naruto.

As he left the room in the company of Akane.

Now here you have it.

Itachi is cured, and now he will be the next Hokage.

About Danzō, he committed many terrible crimes, and he always got away with it; that is something that I never liked. I know that I am blaming him for the kyūbi attack, but making someone that got away with all the crimes that he committed pay for something that he didn't commit, is kind of poetic justice; besides, he was the man responsible for the blame the Uchiha clan received for the kyūbi attack.

Besides, I love it when bad things happen to bad people.

For the next chapter, it will have a few new developments.

Naruto learns a way to earn a lot of money.

His relationship with Hinata will begin to develop.

Hanabi also learns about her own feelings but chooses to keep silent for her sister's sake, but that will change when she finds something that will change everything, and she will decide to follow her heart.

Finally, an interesting turn that will change the role of Sakura and Ino in this story.

I will be updating my stories in this order:

1 Halkeginia Fate

2 Unlimited Rettousei

3 The Journey of Souls

Please review this chapter and also take at look at my others stories.


	7. The Journey of Souls 07

**I want to thank PraetorXyn for being the Beta for this chapter. **

**Hello, how had you been?**

**Here is the next chapter of my fic. I apologize for the late update, but I have received a lot of extra work in the last few weeks that has reduced my writing time. You will see that my writing style may be different; that is because I was very tired when I was writing this chapter, but I still wanted to do something because I could lose the inspiration that I had for this chapter.**

**I know that I am not the only one who has extra work because of COVID 19, and I wish any of you who are still facing this situation good luck. In my work place now not only do I need to do my job, but I also need to create evidence that I did my job and a report about the work that I did, plus the video conferences and meetings with the people of my department and the people of other departments. At this moment I am working three times the usual amount of work that I used to do, so as I said I am very tired.**

**I already have a chapter ready for my Familiar of Zero fic, and two more of my Mahōka Kokō no Rettosei fics; in fact I will rest a couple of days and then begin to work on a new chapter for that story.**

**I know I said that I am tired, but this is my stress release activity that I can do from home.**

I want to thank the support that I have received for this story, and all the readers that are following my fics.

I also want to say that I will do what I can to make this story different from the others fics that you may have read in the past.

For that reason, I would also like to take time to develop the backstory of other characters, so that when the time comes to make the plot advance more, I will have more material to use to develop the next sagas of this story.

In this chapter, I am planning to explain the events that followed the end of the last chapter, so that you can see why some of the future events will happen.

**Chapter Begin.**

To say that the last couple of days had been complete chaos in Konoha was an understatement.

The revelation that it was an elder of the council, Danzō, who was responsible for the Kyūbi attack, was something that no one expected.

This coupled with the rumors that he had been killing shinobi of their own village in order to steal their kekkei genkai and clan techniques destroyed his reputation within the village.

In the beginning, many did not want to believe it, but with all the clan heads confirming the rumors, their doubts disappeared, and soon enough a new rumor was running throughout the village: that Danzō caused the Kyūbi attack in order to kill the Third and Fourth Hokage, in order to take control of the village.

Meanwhile back in the council room, things had not gotten any easier. As members of the ANBU teams had just finished their reports about what they found in Danzō's home and ROOT bases.

"I cannot believe that I didn't realize any of this," said Sarutobi as he looked even older, but that was something to be expected.

After all, he had just learned many of his old teammate's activities that caused unnecessary deaths and had nothing to do with the betterment of Konoha, but only his own personal gain.

Sarutobi began to feel tired, very tired; not only did one of his previous students become a monster that has destroyed many lives because he turned into a coward that is afraid of death, but also his teammate has been doing it for even longer and he hasn't realized until now. How many people would be alive if he had opened his eyes and seen who Danzō really was? How many innocent people did his student kill for the sake of his own ambitions even today?

Maybe they were right; it was time for him to retire. Thankfully, he had a worthy successor in Itachi, even if he was not chosen in the conventional way; he was by far the best successor for whom he could hope.

Soon he would make the announcement that he will retire in a couple of years and that Itachi will be the Fifth Hokage.

That move has allowed him to reduce the tension that was rising in the council, but that also made him realize that before his time as a Hokage came to an end he needed to make up for the mistakes that he had made in the past.

"What is the status of the other villages, have they shown any movement?" asked Sarutobi.

"So far nothing, but we can no longer lower our guard; they will see what has just happened as an indicator that Konoha has bad leadership, and they will try to do take advantage," said Shikaku.

"The real problem is that we need to change all of security plans and protocols that Danzō knew; they are now a security risk," said Fugaku.

"We need to keep our veteran shinobi close to the village so they can protect it in the case of an attack," added Hiashi.

"You are forgetting that Danzō may still have some spies inside the village; we need to find them before we even consider creating new security plans," added Inoichi.

"That could take weeks!" said a jōnin.

"Then we had better get started," said Sarutobi.

"That leads us to another point; he knows all our secrets, and he can use them against us. He even knows that the Mokuton has returned; if our enemies learn about this they may come after Naruto to kidnap or even kill him," said Itachi who had remained silent as he observed the meeting.

"For now, we can protect him inside the village, but what will happen when he becomes a genin?" asked Chōza.

"For the moment Yamato is looking after him. That reminds me; Yamato, what is the progress of Naruto?" said Sarutobi as he looked at Yamato.

"To be honest the only word that comes to my mind is genius," said Yamato.

"Could you be more specific?" asked Shikaku.

"I wish that I could, because I cannot understand how he is advancing so quickly," said Yamato.

"Maybe if you give us an example?" said Inoichi.

"It has been two weeks since the Danzō incident, and since I began my mission to protect him and teach him. On my first day in the mission I chose to see how strong he was in order to determinate his level and see what he needed to work on in order to improve, but that kid is amazing; his learning speed is amazing, he learns every move and jutsu that I show him so quickly that is as if he already knew them," said Yamato.

"Are you sure that you wife hasn't been teaching him anything, Hiashi?" asked Sarutobi.

"I asked her the same question, and she told me that she hadn't; besides, with her still recovering I do not believe that she could even if she wanted to," answered Hiashi. "When I asked her about how he can be advancing so fast she said that I only need to remember who his father is and I will understand, and to be honest that is an explanation that I can accept."

"That information is a secret," said Sarutobi.

"A secret that like many others is now in the hands of Danzō, if he gives that information to Iwa in exchange for help, even if you had the best of intentions, all of this secrecy will have been for nothing," said Shikaku.

Even if Sarutobi did not want to admit it, Shikaku had a very good point.

"You will need to tell him about his father; with the current events that is inevitable. Besides, Akane-sama is right; it is only matter of time before he finds out the truth by on his own, after all he has already proven that he is as smart as his father was," said Shikaku.

"I know, but my original idea was to tell him when he became chūnin or jōnin depending on his level. There have been so many changes in his life that I do not want to reveal another one so soon; I am really getting too old for this," said Sarutobi.

But in that moment an ANBU arrive with haste.

"There is an emergency! The apartment compound where Naruto lives is on fire!" said the ANBU.

"Where is Naruto?" asked a worried Sarutobi.

"He is in the Hyūga compound with the Hyūga heiresses and Akane-sama," answer the ANBU.

That piece of news calmed his heart that for a moment feared the worst.

"What happened?" asked Itachi.

"It seems that a group of drunken civilians decided to burn the place, saying that Naruto-sama was a tool used by Danzō to kill the Fourth Hokage; they were arrested and are now on their way to Hibiki."

Ever since some of the ANBU learned that Naruto is a direct descendant of the First Hokage, their attitude changed. For now, they are the among the only ones who are allowed to know that information, especially because Sarutobi told him that he should keep the Mokuton a a secret.

"Things never get easier, do they?" asked Itachi.

"No, they never do," was Sarutobi's answer.

Time skip.

Naruto was standing right before his building as the flames burned it to the ground, and some shinobi were using water jutsu to stop the fire before the entire block could turn into a conflagration, but for him their efforts were pointless.

The fire destroyed his apartment. Moreover, the worst part is that he did not know how to feel about this. That place was never anywhere special for him, but it was the only place that he could call his own.

While Naruto was looking at the fire, many of the villagers would have loved to make fun of him or even attack him and throw him into the fire, but they chose to do nothing. Not because they had a change of heart but because Akane Hyūga and some of her guards were standing next to him while Hinata and Hanabi where right next to him, holding his hands. This was the only thing that they two sisters could think of to offer some form of comfort to Naruto, because words do not seem right in this moment.

"I guess that it is time to leave," said Naruto as he began to walk away in towards the forest.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked a worried Akane.

"I have another place that I can live," said Naruto.

"You can stay with us, there will be no trouble, right mom?" said Hinata.

"Yes, there will be no trouble," said Akane.

"I appreciate your offer, I really do, but I do not want to attract trouble to your home and even if I know that no one will dare to attack you, my presence will still attract negative attention," said Naruto.

"You do not need to worry about us," said Hanabi.

"But I do; you were the first ones to treat me as a human being. Besides, I was planning to show you a little secret," said Naruto as he began to walk.

Akane, Hinata and Hanabi began to follow him with the small group of Hyūga guards following them a few steps behind.

It took them a while to arrive at the forest; none of them knew where he was taking them, but then Hinata recognized this road.

"Naruto-kun, this road is taking us to," said Hinata.

"Yes, I am taking you to our secret place," said Naruto.

"Secret place?" asked Hanabi.

"I found an old abandoned house in the forest some time ago and we have been using it since then," continued Naruto.

"You mean that old temple? That place is in ruins!" said Hanabi.

"That is where the surprise part comes in," said Naruto as they arrived at their destination, to see the magnificent Uzumaki mask temple still in ruins. The roof was full of holes, the floor as well, and the walls were in terrible shape.

"And the surprise?" asked Hanabi.

Naruto just smiled as he stepped forward when he was right in front of the temple. Then he began to make some hand signs as he knelt and put his hand over the floor.

For a moment nothing happened, but then the wood began to react to his chakra and began to glow.

Before all those present, they saw how the Naruto's Mokuton is fixing the old Uzumaki mask temple. The missing parts were replaced, and the damaged ones look new once again, after a few moments the Uzumaki mask temple was completely fixed.

"Naruto-kun you did it!" said a happy Hinata as she hugged him, happy to see how Naruto-kun has finally managed to achieve his goal.

Hanabi for her part turned from the temple to Naruto and to the temple again. What she had just witnessed was simply impossible.

Akane for her part was curious about Hinata's reaction. "You knew about this Hinata?" she asked.

"I told her how the plants reacted to my chakra, and she was the one that loaned me that book about the First Hokage. It is thanks to her that I finally managed to use Mokuton," answered Naruto in her place.

"But how is it possible that you can use Mokuton? It was supposed to be unique to the first Hokage?!" asked a surprised Hanabi.

"It looks like I am his descendant," Naruto answered.

"But how is that possible?" asked Hinata, this was the first time that she heard this.

"I wish that I knew; the old Hokage just told me that my father is related to him, but he never told me who he was," said Naruto.

"This was supposed to be a secret" said Akane.

"I am tired of secrets that other people said were for my own good, but in the end never helped me," said Naruto with a serious face.

For Akane it was obvious that he is still mad about the decision to keep his father's name a secret.

"I am not the fool that the village believes me to be, and I know that I need to keep this a secret, but who I tell and when, that is my choice. Besides, I trust Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan," Naruto said with conviction.

For Hinata and Hanabi, hearing how Naruto trusted them to this level was something incredibly special for them.

"Do you want to see the inside?" asked Naruto as he led them inside the temple. With Hinata and Hanabi following him.

Akane followed them, but turned to see her guards, and with a dark look told them "Not a single word about this!" the guards knew that she was deathly serious, and only nodded their heads.

Happy with the answer Akane followed the kids.

Inside the temple the Hyūga women were surprised to see that the place looked like new, like the temple was just built.

"You will need some furniture," Hanabi observed.

"That is no problem," said Naruto as he made the same hand signs and using his Mokuton power to make a wooden chair grow from the wooden floor.

"This is amazing! Where did you learn to do this?" asked Hinata.

"There is a man named Yamato, who for some reason can use Mokuton as well, and he has been teaching me many things." said Naruto, but the truth is that ever since he awoke the Mokuton, every time Yamato showed Naruto a new Mokuton jutsu, that refreshed his memory and after a few tries he managed to master them, creating the impression that he was a genius.

"Is he also related to the Senju clan?" asked Hinata.

"No, he told me that he received his power from another source, but he didn't say how. I guess that there is a tragic story that he doesn't want to tell," answered Naruto.

For her part, Akane knew the true story behind Yamato and understood his situation, but it was in that moment that she saw something that almost made her soul run away from her body.

"Naruto! What are those things doing here?!" said Akane pointing to the masks that were on the wall.

"Those masks? They have been here since I discovered this place, why?"

"_They had been here? All this time? What that hell was that old man thinking?" _thought Akane.

"Naruto, those masks are probably the most dangerous and destructive objects in the entire village; the fact that they have remained here is mind blowing. They should be in the ANBU headquarters under armed guard!" said Akane as serious as she can.

"But they are only masks; mom?" asked Hanabi.

"It is not the masks, but the seals that are inside these masks that are dangerous; each one of those masks has a seal that can do different things. Each one of them is as dangerous as the worst criminal that you can imagine, even worse sometimes," said Akane with conviction.

"Seals? Like the ones used against the branch family?" said a sad Hinata.

"Seals can do a lot of things honey, and how they are used depends on the person that made the seals," said Akane, understanding Hinata's feelings.

Naruto for his part also knew what is bothering Hinata; after all she has told him what her dreams was, and he is determined to help her achieve her dream.

"Naruto, I know this this place is your new home, but I need to keep these things in a safer place. By the way, I see that one is missing, where is it?"

"I accidentally broke it when I first found this place years ago; because I didn't want it to happen again, I chose not to touch them again," said Naruto, not wanting to say how he fell on his face while wearing that mask; that would be very embarrassing, especially if these masks are as dangerous as Akane-sama said.

"Years ago? And nothing happened? Well if that is the case, I must say that is for the best that it was destroyed instead of being missing out there. Now wait here while I ask one of the guards to go to the ANBU headquarters and ask a team to come to pick up the masks," said Akane.

"Why don´t you just ask the ANBU that are outside?" asked Naruto.

This surprised Akane, not because of the ANBU presence, in fact she managed to detect them, after all with Naruto's heritage or at least part of it been revealed, she was sure that an ANBU team would be assigned to protect him. What surprised her was that he was able to detect them.

"Did you detect them?" asked Akane.

"Yes, there are three of them hiding in the top of those trees," said Naruto as he pointed over the window.

Akane for her part activated her Byakugan to confirm the number and location. Indeed, three are there.

"How?" was the logical question of Akane.

"I don't know, I just felt that people were there," said Naruto.

"I see, please wait here a moment," said Akane as she exited the temple and looking at the trees she said. "Tora, Snake and Crane get your asses over here!" said Akane in her ANBU captain voice.

Not a second later three figures jumped from the trees; her guards came next to her to protect her just in case, but she raised her hand to indicate that there was no danger.

"As expected of Akane-sama; she was able to detect us," said crane.

"Captain, it is good to see that you have recovered your previous level of skill," said Snake.

"Captain, we are happy to see you well, but we are on a mission; we must look after the new Senju heir from a distance and with discretion," said Tora.

"Senju-heir? Wait, I do not have time for that; first of all that mission will be a little more difficult because he is a sensor type who was able to detect you and tell me your location and numbers," said Akane.

"Really?" asked Tora.

"Yes, but that is not important at this moment; what is important is that there are some items here that are extremely dangerous and I need a retrieval team to remove them from this place."

"What kind of items?" asked Snake.

"That is not important; what it is important is that one of you must go to the headquarters and request a team to pick up these things. Also, you need to go to the Hokage and tell him this message," with a dark and serious look Akane continued. "The message is this: 'Why in the name of Kami did you not secure the ritual masks and seals of the Uzumaki mask temple? Some of them can summon things far more dangerous than the Kyūbi, and you left them unguarded, what were you thinking?!', that is all; now carry out my order."

For a moment, the ANBU believed that she was joking, but a quick look at her face told them that she was quite serious.

Knowing what kind of person she became when she was angry, Tora said that she would go while the other two returned to their positions.

With that done, Akane returned to where the kids were, and because she knew that they still had some time, she decided to give Naruto some suggestions about what kind of furniture he could use in his new home. A part of her was sad that he didn't want to come to the Hyūga compound, but she understood that besides her, Hanabi, and Hinata, Naruto had trust issues with her clan, and she couldn't blame him for that.

Besides, if Naruto could make some furniture with his Mokuton, there were many styles that she had always wanted to try.

For the next few hours, Naruto got a lot of practice using his Mokuton. In the end, Akane told him that if he ever needed money, he could sell the pieces that he had just created.

**Time skip. A couple of days later.**

The entire village gathered in front of the Hokage tower. It seemed that the Hokage would be delivering a very important announcement, and the villagers can only guess what that announcement could be. Nonetheless, there was a lot of speculation, but the main one is that he would finally address the rumors saying that Danzō was a traitor responsible for the Kyūbi attack.

Soon all the villagers that were talking with each other fell silent when they saw the Third Hokage standing at the top of the main tower with the clan heads. Everyone got silent and paid attention as they saw that he was ready to talk.

"My fellow citizens, I am afraid that I have come here to confirm a sad and terrible truth that by now many of you must have heard something about. One of the council members of this village committed treason and homicide against his fellow Konoha shinobi; that traitor is none other than Danzō Shimura."

Many whispers could be heard among the crowd.

"We have found evidence that he took part in the Kyūbi attack on this village, and then put the blame on the Uchiha clan, all this with a terrible goal in mind. He wanted to weaken the Uchiha clan so he could kill some of its members in order to use their bodies in some dark experiments to increase his own power; we even confirmed that he had the Sharingan of Shisui Uchiha implanted in his right eye."

Many people began to look at the members of the Uchiha clan that were in the crowd; it seemed that they wanted to say something, but they could not find the right words.

"But his crimes didn't end there as he even committed crimes against the dead; I am truly sad to report that Danzō took samples of our founder, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju and used them to try to combine his powers with the power of the Sharingan that he stole. We believe that his final goal was to have full control over the Kyūbi, something that as you can imagine, failed."

By now, the entire village was silent as the grave.

"For his crimes against this village and its citizens, I now declare that Danzō Shimura is now an S rank traitor to Konoha, with a bounty of 25 million ryō on his head; any person that helped him or his followers will also be considered a traitor and share the same punishment. The punishment for treason is death."

Sarutobi then changed the look in his eyes to a gentler one.

"I should have seen sooner the kind of monster that Danzō had become; it is for that reason that I have made the decision to retire in a couple of years after the successor that I have chosen is ready to take the role as the Fifth Hokage."

Now the people began to looks anxious.

"Even if he is young he has proven to possess great talent and devotion to this village. Even after what Danzō did to him and his clan he still put Konoha before anything else, and that alone made him the best candidate for a Hokage for which I could wish. For this reason I will spend the next couple of years teaching what I can about the position of Hokage so that when the moment arrives he can lead us to the best of his abilities. For that I want to present you the man that one day will be the Fifth Hokage, Itachi Uchiha."

In that moment Itachi stepped forward from where the clan heads were.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then a huge ovation could be heard.

That moment made history as the village knew the face of the man that would lead them toward the future, and marked the beginning of the reconciliation process with the Uchiha clan.

Soon the people began to surround the member of the Uchiha clan that were watching the Hokage's proclamation in the main square and began to congratulate them.

It was a great day that promised a big celebration that night and many, even the more serious members of the Uchiha clan seemed to enjoy the moment. All but one, ironically the one that should be happiest about this, Itachi's little brother, Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at the announcement with a serious face as the events that happened days ago began to play in his memory.

**Flashback**

The leaders of the Uchiha clan had been called to attend to an emergency meeting. Normally Sasuke would not be called to a council meeting, but for some reason he could participate.

It was in that moment that his parents and his onī-san entered the meeting room. His father being the first one to talk.

"In the last two days so many things have happened that will affect the future of our clan and that have required immediate action," said Fugaku.

"Is it related with the state of emergency and the order to capture Danzō and any other member of ROOT?" asked a random Jōnin.

"Yes, in fact that is the cause of this meeting. What you are about to hear shall remain in secret until the next Hokage gives the authorization to speak about this."

"Next Hokage?" asked another clan member.

"You are about to learn the truth in a moment. Mikoto, you have known more about these recent events, could you explain the situation to the clan?"

Mikoto for her part stepped forward and looked at her clansmen gathered.

"What I am about to tell you will cause a lot of emotions to emerge, but please contain your emotions until I am finished with the retelling of the events."

So, Mikoto began to explain what had just happened, beginning with the attempted of kidnapping of Naruto, how he used the Mokuton to capture the three enemy jōnin, and his relationship with the First Hokage.

"Are you saying that he is a Senju?!" asked an elder man.

"That is the case, even if he wasn't officially recognized as one; the moment that the village learn that the Mokuton has returned they will not care that the boy's grandmother was the Senju clan head's lover."

Then she continued explaining the events of the meeting. When the time came to explain about the Kyūbi attack, she saw her son Sasuke and said the word tenant; she knew that all the others members of the clan will know who she means, and told them about the description of the man that caused the Kyūbi attack.

Meanwhile Sasuke began to consider that maybe this tenant is the person that has been helping that loser to get so strong.

By this moment, everyone was paying attention as if their lives depended on it; after all, the entire clan had suffered since that night as many pointed their fingers towards them saying that only an Uchiha could cause the attack on the village.

That is when the bomb fell. The moment when Mikoto explained what happened when they asked Naruto to demonstrate his Mokuton powers and what happened to Danzō's arm and the worst part, the Sharingan implanted in his body.

"My Shisui?" said a woman in tears. Her name was Kaori and she was the mother of Shisui, and with him being the main suspect of the attack she was the one that had suffered more among the clan. To receive news that her son's name had been cleared was a small relief, but it was also a bittersweet one because this confirmed that her son, her beloved Shisui, was dead.

Many of the women that were in the meeting came close to Kaori and offered her their condolences, but a moment later, the rage was evident on their faces; they wanted revenge and they wanted it immediately.

"Wait a minute! There is more for you to know!" said Mikoto. "As you can imagine, when the truth came out the confidence in the Hokage's ability to rule the village received a big impact, and many were calling to replace him; however in that moment young Naruto came to a simple solution. Name an Uchiha as his successor and train him for a couple of years so he can later take his place in a peaceful way, and believe it or not, that idea had a lot of support from the other clans."

"Are you saying that Fugaku-sama will be the next Hokage?" asked a clan member.

"No, it will not be me; the future Fifth Hokage of Konoha will be my son, Itachi," said Fugaku.

That news was a big surprise, but this time it was welcome as many considered Itachi the best hope for the future of their clan, and with this news, they had just confirmed it.

"Wait!" said Sasuke for the first time. "Are you saying that Naruto, (he wanted to call him loser, but knew that this was not the time or place for that) came to the idea to name onī-san as the new Hokage, and the clan heads agreed with him? How?"

"Little brother," said Itachi. "Because of some special circumstances, Naruto was forced to pretend to be an immature boy, but the truth is that he is highly intelligent. In fact I believe that he is even more intelligent than I was at his age; also the way that he explained his reasoning to choose me as the new Hokage was very eloquent, especially because I didn't want the position."

Many of those present were surprised by this revelation, but with the information about how he was a Senju, they just began to believe that it was something natural.

"If Itachi becomes the next Hokage, then who will be the next clan head?" asked one of those present.

"That will be my second son, Sasuke; when he comes of age he will be tested in the same way that I was, and if he is approved he will become the new clan head," said Fugaku.

This cause some reactions. No one said anything, but Sasuke could see it in their faces. He knew that they had always considered him inferior to his brother, and now that Itachi will become the new Hokage that idea was reinforced in them.

However, he would show them in time that he would become the strongest Uchiha to ever exist. In addition, he did not know why but the fact that it was that loser's suggestion that his brother become the next Hokage really pissed him off.

He would also see. In time, all will see that he will become a legend that will surpass his brother.

**Back to the present.**

"Congratulations Sasuke-kun!" said an annoying voice that he knew.

It was Sakura, with Ino right behind her.

"Now you are the Hokage's brother!" said a happy Ino.

These words were the last thing that he wanted to hear. Moreover, the only thing these fan girls did was make him more angry at this situation. He didn't have time for these losers, so he just turned his back on them and walked away.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called him and tried to follow him along with Ino, but the number of people in the area made it impossible and she lost him.

"You just scared him away forehead!" said Ino.

"Me? You're the one that is always in the way! If you weren't here Sasuke-kun would be asking me for a date by now!"

"In yours dreams!" was Ino's reply.

Back with Sasuke, he had just arrived at a training ground. At that moment he only wanted to be alone, he needed to think of a way to become strong without the help of his clan, that was the only way to prove that everyone who had always looked down on him were wrong.

Especially that loser!

It didn't matter that he was a Senju; a loser would always be a loser.

"Looks like someone is angry," said a voice behind him.

When Sasuke turned he saw that same 'ANBU' from the last time, the one that told him how his brother was helping Naruto.

"What do you want?" asked Sasuke, angry at being interrupted.

"Nothing; I was just on my way to see the announcement before I had to return to my post," Tobi lied.

"It's over there, now get lost," said Sasuke as he pointed to the center of the village.

"It seems that someone is angry; could it be that now not only your clan, but the entire village sees you as the useless brother of the new Hokage?"

Sasuke's reaction was instant as he launched some kunai at Tobi, only to see them pass through him.

"A genjutsu? Do not make me waste my time with…" whatever Sasuke was about to say ended when the 'genjutsu' punched him in the stomach.

"If I was a genjutsu the pain that you are feeling now should make me disappear, right? But since I am here that means I must be real," Tobi said.

"Who are you? How did you do that?" asked Sasuke in pain.

"Just an ordinary super elite and amazing regular Shinobi," Tobi casually replied.

"What do you want from me?" Sasuke asked.

"From you nothing; you are just too weak right now, but you remind me of how I used to be when I was your age, so I will tell you something. Come here the last three days of each month and I will teach you a little; that will help you become stronger than your brother and especially stronger than that Naruto boy," Tobi offered.

"I do not need your help!" replied Sasuke.

"And who is going to help you? Your clan? They are too busy praising Itachi now, and when the village learns that Naruto boy is a Senju they will also begin to praise him," Tobi countered.

After hearing that Sasuke remained silent.

"My time is too valuable to waste in this way; if you do not show at the end of this month I will assume that you are happy with how things are now, and that you want to live in the shadows of your brother and Naruto for the rest of your life, but remember this training time will be our secret," Tobi said.

With that Tobi turned around and began to walk away.

"Wait!" said Sasuke. "In case that I decide to accept your offer, how I am supposed to call you?" asked Sasuke.

"Call me Tobi," and with that said he disappears.

**Time skip**

It had been three months since Sasuke accepted Tobi's offer and while he had doubts about him, he surely kept his word, and even if they only trained together a few days each month Sasuke felt that he had made more progress than what he did when he trained with his father, who had spent less time training him, saying that he had clan business to attend.

However, this progress had also come with an additional trait, arrogance. Ever since he first began to train with Tobi, he found that talking with him was something very interesting. They shared some points of view about what must be done, and the role of the elite in this world.

He increased his challenging of Naruto, to show the village that he was superior, but those fights and competitions never ended with a victory on his side; that was bad enough for him, but when he remembered Hinata's words from that day, about how Naruto wasn't using his full power, that made him furious.

Another way that Sasuke chose to compete against Naruto, was with his followers. Sasuke began to gather a group, with Uchiha kids mainly, to show Naruto that he also had followers, but the fact that those kids couldn't win a match against the girls that followed Naruto was something that only made him angrier.

That is when Tobi suggested him, why not make one of the girls from Naruto's group abandoned him to join yours?

That was something that attracted Sasuke's attention, and he was willing to try, even if it was said that one of his group chose him over Naruto.

But that idea also came with a trouble. That from Naruto's group of friends, Hinata, the strongest, wanted nothing to do with him; her sister was the same and Yakumo showed zero interest in him. That left him with only two choices, and they were ones that he really disliked.

Sakura and Ino were useless fan girls who only knew how to bother him. And even if their skills had shown some improvement lately, their personalities and that stupid idea of romance that they had really made him mad. But if he wants to take something away from Naruto those two are the easiest targets.

That is what brings us to this very moment.

Sakura and Ino were walking together to their homes because today was one of the days that they did not have to train with Naruto and the others.

"Hello there," said a voice that the two of them knew very well.

"Sasuke-kun?" asked the two at the same time as they turned around. Surprised that Sasuke wanted to talk with them.

"I just want to say that I am impressed with the progress that you have made; you are obviously stronger than what I believed, so I was wondering if you would want to train with me and my friends tomorrow since it is Saturday?" asked Sasuke with a friendly smile that looked fake on his face. However, for Ino and Sakura it looked like he was their charming prince.

"You really are asking us to train with you?" asked a surprised Ino.

"Yes, if that is okay with you?" Sasuke replied.

"Yes!" said both Ino and Sakura at the same time.

"Excellent, then I will meet you tomorrow," said Sasuke as he turned to leave. Once he was out of their view the friendly look that he had turned darker.

"Why did you invite those losers to be with us?" asked an Uchiha boy who was waiting for him with another group.

"I do not care about them; I just want to take away something from that loser," was Sasuke's answer as he kept walking.

"I know, but why does it have to be those pathetic excuses for shinobi?" asked the same boy.

"I have to start somewhere," was Sasuke's plain reply.

"I see, well I need to do an errand that my mom asked me to do," said the boy as he went to the main street while Sasuke and the others returned to the Uchiha compound.

A few moments later, Ino had just entered her room; she was so excited that Sasuke had finally shown some interest in her. The only bad thing was that he had also asked Sakura to be with him, well she only needed to show him that she was the best.

When she first suggested that training with Naruto would attract Sasuke's attention, she was joking; in fact it was a prank on Sakura, but a lot of things happened and now the training with Naruto and the others truly was helping her.

Wait a minute, Naruto. Tomorrow she had training with Naruto, Hinata, Hanabi and Yakumo at the same time. Oh well, it will only be for this one time, besides this could be the perfect chance to make Sasuke-kun who is the best boy in the village fall in love with her.

But now that she is thinking, for some reason her entire clan had been acting very strange now; at first when she told them that Naruto was the boy that she was expending her time training with after classes, many of her clan members didn't like that and asked her to stop at once, saying that being close to that boy will damage the clan's reputation, but her father spoke against that and said that she must continue with her training with Naruto because now she is really training as she should.

However, in the last few days the same people who said that she must stay away from Naruto are now asking her to become closer to him; she wondered what could have happened to change their opinions. Well that is not her business; if things go well tomorrow, her time with Naruto and the others will come to an end. She may be a little sad because she had just begun to get along better with Hinata, Hanabi and Yakumo; the fact that none of them are interested in Sasuke really helped to make her like them.

Now all that she needed was a little advantage over Sakura, something that she could use to make Sasuke choose her over Sakura.

It was in that moment that looking outside her window she saw one of the others Uchiha boys that attend to the academy with them. Ino knew him because he was always with Sasuke-kun.

"That's it!" said Ino to herself as she began to make the hand signs for her clan jutsu.

"Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Transfer Jutsu)!"

As Ino fell to the floor of her room, the Uchiha boy stood for a second as he lowered his face, a second later when he raised his face again he was wearing a very big smile that looked strange on his face.

"_Now to find out what kind of woman attracts Sasuke-kun more," thought Ino._

Using the body of the Uchiha boy, Ino entered the Uchiha compound and was looking for Sasuke. Thankfully she didn't have to look far as she saw him heading toward the training grounds.

"Sasuke-k" she stopped when she was about to use her pet name for him.

"What do you want?" asked a bothered Sasuke.

"I was wondering what girl you like more, Ino or Sakura, and what characteristics they need to have to be your perfect girlfriend?" asked Ino in the boy's body.

Sasuke turned to see him with a very pissed off face.

"What that hell are you talking about?!" said Sasuke as he grabbed the boy/Ino from the shirt "I don't know what is wrong with you or if is this is some kind of joke for you, but I just told you that those two pathetic excuses for shinobi mean nothing to me!"

"But you just talked to them; you invited them to train with you!"

"Only so I can take something away from that loser Naruto," said Sasuke as he released the boy/Ino.

"If you care so much about them you can keep them; all that I want is to be able to say I managed to take one of Naruto's friends away to my side," said Sasuke as he kept walking.

"Eh? How did I get here?" asked the Uchiha boy as he recovered the control over his body.

While this was happening, Ino opened her eyes in her room, she had tears in them.

"I am such a fool," said Ino in low voice as she cried.

She spent the rest of the night thinking about, well everything. She was such a fool to place all her dreams in a boy that did not care about her. Had she gone tomorrow to train with him, it would have possibly been the worst mistake of her life.

"I have to tell Sakura; I can't allow her to make the worst mistake of her life," Ino said.

The next morning Ino hurried to Sakura's place, but when she arrived Sakura's mother told her that she had already left.

After hearing that she began to run in the direction of the training ground where she saw Sakura walking a few meters in front of her.

"Sakura!"

"Eh, what do you want Ino-pig?"

"Thank Kami that I found you in time!"

This time Ino had a serious face that attracted Sakura's attention.

"Ino, what happened?"

"Sakura, we need to leave this place, you are making the worst mistake of your life!"

"What are you talking about? Sasuke-kun is waiting for us!"

"That is the mistake!"

"What are you talking about?"

In that moment Ino began to tell her about what happened yesterday, what she did and how she heard what Sasuke really thought about them, that his goal was to say that he managed to take away some of Naruto's friends; after that he did not care about them.

Sakura listened in silence to all that Ino said.

"That is why we need to go, Sakura; this is not worthy, and we are going to be used and then ignored," said Ino.

"I see" said Sakura.

"Thank Kami, now we should leave," said Ino as she tried to grab Sakura's hand so they can leave that place.

But Sakura rejected her hand.

"Sakura?" Ino said.

"I see that you are afraid that Sasuke-kun will choose me over you because I am the best girl in the academy, and if you believe that you can fool me you are very wrong because I know that Sasuke-kun would never do that!"

"I am telling you the truth!" said Ino with conviction.

"I don't believe you, and if you want to go with that fool Naruto and the others you are welcome; they have served their propose and I don't need them anymore," said Sakura.

"You will be used," said Ino as she tried to grab Sakura's hand again, but…

SLAPPP

Sakura slapped Ino.

Ino for her part raised her hand to touch the check that Sakura just slapped.

"There was a time that we were friends, and we allowed a boy that is garbage to destroy our friendship; if you want to make the biggest mistake of your life, fine I won't stop you, but I won't be there to see you face the consequences," with that said Ino turned around and left her alone.

Sakura for her part looked at how Ino waked away, but a moment later she continued her way; after all, Sasuke-kun would now be all hers.

Back with Ino.

She kept walking without a destination in mind; in fact, the only thing that she was thinking right now was to determine how she could be so wrong. She needed to think, and now all she wanted was to be alone.

"Hello Ino, ready to train?" asked Naruto from behind her.

Turning around she saw Naruto, Hinata, Hanabi and Yakumo.

Oh, she forgot about the training that she was supposed to have with them.

"Are you okay? You look a little stressed," asked Yakumo.

"Yeah, I just had a discussion with Sakura," said Ino.

"What happened?" asked Hinata.

"I don't think that she wants to train with us anymore," said Ino, not wanting to say more about the topic.

"I see," said Naruto.

"We can't force her to stay with us; she needs to find her own way," said Hinata as she looked at Ino with a serious face. "What about you Ino? What are you going to do?"

Somehow Hinata knew what had just happened, how, Ino did not know, but she knows that Hinata is asking her what she is going to do from now on.

Ino looked at them and began to remember that even if the training was hard, she actually had real fun with them, but that fun was short lived as she was always arguing with Sakura, so maybe it was time to have real fun with her real friends.

This time she would have real fun.

"I will challenge you to a race to our training place!" said Ino as she began to run.

"Hey! That is not fair!" said Naruto.

"We are training to be ninja, we aren't supposed to be fair!" was Ino's reply as she ran.

Naruto looked at Ino, wondering what could have happened to make her act like this, but she looked happier this way.

"Too slow!" said Hinata as she began to run, being followed by Hanabi and Yakumo.

Naruto stopped there seeing how all of them were running, for some reason that made him happy.

"Hey wait for me!" said Naruto as he began to run.

**Back with Sakura.**

She has just arrived to where Sasuke was, but part of her couldn't forget the words that Ino had just told her.

"Hello Sakura. I am glad that you arrived, where is Ino?" asked Sasuke.

"She changed her mind, but do not worry because I am the best one of the two of us and I promise you that I will always be here for you."

"I am sure that you will," said Sasuke with a dark look in his eyes that Sakura either missed or didn't want to see. "Now let's see what you can do," and with that said he took his fighting stance.

Sakura for her part did the same, believing that this would be the first of many occasions where they would spend their time together. "_Yes, now it's only a matter of time before he falls in love with me,_" Sakura thought.

What Sakura never realized is that sometimes you must be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

**Back with Naruto and the girls.**

Naruto did manage to win the race being followed by Hinata, Ino, Hanabi and Yakumo.

"That was a good way to warm up before the training," said Naruto as he looked at the girls.

"You really are going to tell them, aren't you?" asked Hanabi. When Naruto showed her that he could use the Mokuton, it was the biggest surprise of her life, and she even began to consider that that beautiful golden chakra might be related to that power now that she learned that he is in fact a direct descendant of the First Hokage.

But that was not all, because he also told them what he had inside him. At first the memories of how the adults, even her own guardian treated Naruto began to make sense, but she didn't believe that Naruto was a demon; after all he saved her mom, and her mom, the person she trust most in the entire world, had told them that Naruto was not a demon. But that was something that her sister Hinata didn't need to be told as she hurried to hug him.

That action alone showed her how much her sister cared for Naruto.

However, there were more surprises, because he even told them that the Hokage had decreed that his father's name was a secret, and that he could only learn it when he turned 18 or became a jōnin.

Not only could Naruto use the legendary Mokuton, but had the Kyūbi inside him, he could use healing jutsu, and not only was he related to the First Hokage but his parents' names were still a secret. Naruto's life was remarkably interesting, more than the novels of love and adventure that she liked to read.

"I have to; after all I am going to ask for their help in the future, so it is only fair that they know the truth so they can make their own choices," said Naruto.

Hinata for her part stood next to Naruto and held his hand as a show of support, something that Hanabi did as well with his other hand.

But before he could begin a single ANBU jumped and landed in the middle of the ground, scaring the girls.

"Are you going to tell them about the events that recently happened?" asked the ANBU that had white hair.

"Only the parts that are related to me, the others I will keep secret."

"All that happened is supposed to be a secret, it is for your own good," was the reply.

"The last time that someone kept a secret from me saying that it was for my own good that didn't work so well, did it? I am tired of people keeping secrets about my life saying that it was for my own good when my life has been a living hell!" said Naruto.

The ANBU remained silent, a guilty feeling in his stomach.

"Someone else could see you," the ANBU tried again.

"Besides you and the other two ANBU that are over there, there is no one close enough to this place to see what is happening," countered Naruto.

The ANBU confirmed the report that said that Naruto was a sensor type, one that seemed to be extremely good.

"Besides, with a team of ANBU always following me, it is only a matter of time before they see that something is off," said Naruto.

Seeing that there was no point he returned to where his teammates were.

"Naruto?" asked Yakumo. She wanted to know what was happening, and from the look on Ino's faces she as well wanted an answer.

"Ino, Yakumo," said Naruto. "I believe that it will be easier to show you than explain it."

And with that Naruto stepped forward and after making a few hand signs, a large tree trunk, like the ones in the training grounds grew from the ground.

This surprised Ino and Yakumo.

"That is the Mokuton, but how is that possible?" asked a surprised Ino.

"About that," said Naruto as he began to tell them how he awoke the Mokuton, how he was related to the first Hokage, and finally about the Kyūbi.

To say that Ino and Yakumo were shocked was an understatement. All this new information changed many of the concepts and ideas that they already believed to be true.

"It doesn't matter," said Yakumo attracting Ino's attention. "You helped me when I needed it, and thanks to you my dreams are about to become a reality; besides we are friends, so why I should care for something like that?" asked Yakumo with a smile.

Ino for her part began to consider all that she had heard, how she was and the kind of person that she was, and the truth is that she didn't like it; she wanted to change, the old Ino would have reacted in a bad way after hearing this, but now this was the first step, she would no longer be that old Ino. She will become strong, independent, and a great shinobi in her own right.

"I agree with Yakumo, but why did you tell us this? You could have kept the secret," Ino said.

"Because we are friends," was Naruto's answer. "Besides, I need your help."

"Our help?" Yakumo and Ino asked in unison.

"I have spent my all life being called a demon, an orphan who was abandoned by his parents, and many other things that I do not want to repeat. Now I know that I have an aunt out there, but she did not know that she had a little brother, much less a nephew. I am finally been able to learn things about my past, my family, but the last piece that finally reveals all my past, my history, won't be revealed until I become a jōnin and for that I need your help," Naruto spoke passionately.

"Our help, but you are the strongest student in the academy, you can become a chūnin in less than a year after you graduate, and a jōnin after that, how can we help you?" asked Ino.

"Because if I want to become truly strong, it is not something that I can do alone, and I am worried that I may lose focus of who I am and what I want. I need someone who if I begin to lose my way, will be there to help me find the right path again," said Naruto.

The girls looked at Naruto, he seemed so mature; no other boys they knew would even admit that they needed help, and even less would ask for it. How he became like this even after all that he must have gone through was something that they could admire and respect.

"But what can we do?" asked Yakumo.

At this Naruto just answered. "Do you want to become stronger with me?"

None of them expected that answer, they began to look at each other as they began to think about what they had heard. They may have had their own reasons for being here, but they all agreed that their propose is linked to this boy, and that whatever would happen from now on, it would be fun.

In that moment they had their answer.

That night, in the Hyūga compound.

Hanabi was in her room, looking at the ceiling from her bed, trying to fall asleep but with the recent events still playing in her mind.

She could barely believe it, the boy that her big sister loved, turned out to be some kind of prince, who has a mystical power and a dark secret and was asking for their help to achieve his goals; this was like those novels that she loved so much.

But more importantly, she was incredibly happy for her sister. Ever since she became closer to Naruto, Hanabi had seen how Hinata was becoming more confident and strong; it was as if she was the heroine of a novel. She really was happy for her, but at the same time a little jealous — not in a bad way — it was just that she had always dreamed to live a love story as romantic as this one, but after hearing Naruto's story she was sure that there was no other boy with such an amazing background and intensity, and even if her sister did not want to admit her feelings yet, she was sure that she and Naruto are meant to be together.

There is also his chakra; by Kami, she didn't know why that golden chakra attracted her so much, could it be because of the Mokuton? Or the Kyūbi? Maybe both. But that did not change the fact that he had the most beautiful chakra that she had ever seen, and she wanted to see more of it.

"This is useless," said Hanabi as she realized that she would not fall sleep anytime soon, so she got up and went to the Hyūga clan library.

Normally there were only official books there, but there was also a small section that was reserved to recreational books. Therefore, she went to see if she could find a new book to read, hoping to get sleepy after reading a few pages. She was looking for something new to read as she read the titles of the books.

But then she saw something; it was not on the book shelf, but on the floor. It seemed that a board was loose; at first she didn't pay it too much attention, but then she saw that it wasn't just a corner of the board that was lose, but the whole table. It also seemed that someone had move that board and that was strange, because why move a damage board in the floor and not fix it?

It was then that she tried to fix that board in the floor when she saw that there was something under the board, it was a packet. Feeling more curious about this she opened it and saw that they were some books.

"Books? Why would someone put books here? Let's see what those books are about, uhm, Icha Icha Tactics? What a strange name, but wait a minute, the author of this books is Jiraiya of the Sannin! Maybe this book is about his battle tactics and techniques?!" said Hanabi with great emotion.

"Maybe that is why they were hidden, because they are too important, and if that is the case these books may be the key to help us to become stronger; but first I have to read them to see what kind of battle tactics are shown in them," said Hanabi as she took all the books to her room.

"Let's see, this appears to be the first one of the series, 'The Two Moon Princesses and the Rōnin'? What a strange title for a shinobi book," Hanabi said.

With that said Hanabi opened the door that would lead her to the wonderful of the Icha Icha Paradise series, something that would help her in a future to achieve her own happiness, and the happiness of others.


	8. The Journey of Souls 08

**I want to thank PraetorXyn for being the Beta for this chapter. **

Hello, I am here again with a new chapter, hope you like it.

Before I begin the chapter, I would like to share with you two ideas that **I decided not to use**, but I still believe that they are good ones and could be used in another's stories or to create new stories.

If any of you want to use any of these ideas, I only ask for two things.

That you send me the link to follow the story and I will add the link of your story in the next update of my stories so others can also follow the story, also if you need any help at the first chapters I am willing to assist you.

These ideas are for harems stories, so I request that Hinata is either the main girl of part of the harem.

**My first idea is this one for adding Tsunade into a Naruto's harem story.**

As you have read in my previous chapters, I already gave Tsunade the role of Naruto's aunt.

However, at one point I was considering adding her to the harem; in the end I chose not to do it. Now, the idea about how you can create a harem story with Tsunade is this one. **USE A CLONE BODY!**

You can have Orochimaru create a clone of Tsunade to study the Mokuton to stabilize Hashirama cells, because after all she is his descendant. It could be that the clone chamber was in the ROOT headquarters and at one point, it was found.

Now with that clone body there are two ways to use it.

You can have Tsunade get hurt very badly, and because she is dying have the Yamanaka use a forbidden technique to transfer her mind to the body of the clone after they confirm that the clone was braindead, and because she now looks the same age as Naruto, she can't become the Hokage anymore, so Kakashi took the position while she began her second young days.

The other option is that the clone was not braindead, but her memories only have the information up to the point where Orochimaru took the samples from Tsunade. You can have the clone have the same age as Naruto, and the original Tsunade, seeing how the clone is about to make the same mistakes that she did in the past, becomes her guide to prevent her from making the same mistakes that she did.

In both cases there is a necessary and good reason for Tsunade's clone to stay close to Naruto. I was thinking maybe that Naruto has a special power that is necessary to keep the clone body in good health, or she is placed in Naruto's team to replace Sasuke (never liked Sai).

**My second idea is for the people that also liked the series Fairy Tail.**

I have read some crossovers between Naruto and Fairly Tail. However, so far, I do not like any of the ones that I have read. Mainly because they take Naruto to the other universe, but then what happened to his original world? That made me feel that the story is always incomplete.

That is why I come with this idea. In fact, I already put this idea in a forum years ago in a forum of the author **NarHina. **And heuses the idea to create a story named **The Dragon Container (I recommend this one). **In fact, he gives me credit for the idea in the first , it has been some time since the last contact, so I decided to put my idea here, hoping that someone will like it and try their own version.

The idea began in the end of the Tartarus saga, when the soul of all the dragons are moving to the afterlife. That happens in the same moment of the sealing of the Kyūbi and by some coincidence all the dragons end up inside Naruto.

Now, the only way that I could think of where Naruto can have the dragons inside his body instead of the Kyūbi, is that the Kyūbi has been sealed inside another person, in this case a sibling, either a twin brother or a sister, maybe both, but the triplet idea is too over-used and in order to make it work it will be necessary to add more elements to the plotline. That also opens the door to the neglected plot line; I know that not many like it but depending on how it's developed it could turn into a good story.

For example, it could be that the presence of all the dragons in the body of Naruto has consequences and the first years he has a weakened body and health that prevents him from training with his family until his body adapts to the dragons, maybe even make it so that Akatsuki made a move when the kids were very young, and that forced Minato and Kushina to train the child that has Kurama inside, in addition to the idea of Naruto having a weak body the first years of his life. You can also use the normal neglected plot line if you want, but in the end you can use the idea that you like.

Some of the additional elements are Naruto using the Dragon Force instead the Sage Mode and that he will teach the girls that are with him how to use some magic.

If anyone wants to use any of these ideas feel free to do it; just send me a message to follow your story and if you need any help, I am willing to help and assist you if you want, but it has to be your own version. I will only provide ideas if you ever have writer's block or ask for a suggestion.

The reason why I am not doing these ideas myself is that I already have too many active projects that I have the intention to complete in the future, including a new Naruto/Fate Stay Night project that I began to work on already. I will give you the details at the end of the chapter.

I also have an important question that I would like to ask about this story and I would like to hear your opinion, but it will be at the end of the chapter.

**Now the chapter begins.**

It had been a full year since Naruto trusted the girls with his secrets, and ever since then they had become closer. Focusing on their training they began to develop a new sense of confidence that was reflected in many aspects of their lives. Each one in their own way, but at the same time there was no doubt that they had become stronger.

The one who had changed the most in the last year was Hinata. Thanks to the presence of her mother, the support of her friends, but more than anything the guidance of Naruto, she had gained the confidence to show her true capabilities.

In addition, with that confidence she had made a new choice to grow her hair long and change her clothes.

How the once shy Hinata came to that decision is something simple. With their mother fully recovered, Hinata and Hanabi had begun to train with her; the fact that their mother was alive and well was a great source of happiness for them. Moreover, both sisters were proud of her because she was strong, kind, and beautiful.

That is when Hinata had the idea that if she looked like her mother, maybe she could attract more attention from her blond love interest.

But she needed help with this because she knew that she would need more than just growing her hair, so one day she asked for help from the only person she knew she could ask.

"Mom, could you help me choose a new hair style and clothes?" asked Hinata as she shyly poked her fingers together.

When Akane heard her daughter's request, she turned her head so quickly that for a moment Hinata thought that she may have said something wrong, but that idea ended when she saw the big smile on her mother's face.

"Hinata, my dear, I have waited for so long to hear that question from you!" said Akane as she took Hinata's hand as they ran towards Konoha's shopping district.

Of course, Akane knew why Hinata wanted a makeover, and of course that she wanted to help her. Besides, what mother doesn't enjoy choosing clothes for her child?

Moreover, that makeover had a big impact on the boys of the academy; with her new attitude and looks she began to attract the attention of many of the boys, but she was not interested in any of them. However, when Naruto told her that she looked nice, it was one of best days of her life, and that gave her a boost in her self-confidence.

Today she was heading towards Naruto's home. She and the others agreed to gather there to make plans for tomorrow's field trip that would be the last exercise before they had to take the graduation test.

She was praying to Kami that she would be placed on the same team as Naruto, hoping to spend more time with him as they do missions together.

She was around halfway into the forest when she heard a voice.

"Look who we have here?!" said a boy. There were another two boys at his sides and behind him there was a Genin.

Hinata knew who they were; they were the gang of bullies who had attacked her the day that she met Naruto. She had seen them in the academy, but they were in different groups. In all this time they never tried to do anything against her or her friends because Hinata knew that they were afraid of Naruto. It seemed that they chose to try their luck now that they saw her alone.

"Aren´t you too old for this? We are about to graduate, and you still act like kindergarten bullies," said Hinata as he got into her ready position.

"Shut up! Don't think that you are better than us just because of your clan!" said the leader.

"When have I ever said that I was better than anyone?" asked Hinata in a matter of fact tone.

"It's that superior attitude of yours that bothers us, and today we are going to put an end to it!"

"You haven't answered my question, but I guess that is to be expected, because you are only looking for an excuse to act this way, and to be honest that is pathetic."

"Silence little princess! This time you are alone and my big brother who's a Genin came to teach you a lesson."

"You mean that you were afraid to be beaten again so you brought help?" said Hinata.

"We will see how this ends, especially since your boyfriend isn't around!" said the leader hoping to make fun of her.

When Hinata heard these words she began to blush and poke her fingers together.

"We really aren't like that, at least not yet," said Hinata in a low voice. "I mean Naruto-kun is a great boy; funny, intelligent and hardworking…" and so she began to talk about the good points of Naruto, completely ignoring the current situation.

But the group of bullies didn't, and after a few moments of listening to her they lost their patience.

"Get her!" said the leader.

In that moment, the two other bullies jumped at her while the leader and his brother were looking from behind.

"Take this!" said one of them as he tried to strike her face only to see her disappear. "What the… EHUUU!" was all that he could say after Hinata not only avoided his attack, but also punched him hard in the stomach.

"Naruto is really kind and over the years we have become even better friends, but he is also kind to others, so I am not sure," continued Hinata, who after delivering that devastating attack continued talking like nothing happened.

"YOU!" said the second bully as he tried to kick her from behind.

But Hinata raised her foot, blocking his kick and with a bicycle kind of frontal kick, landed her attack on his face.

"The other day we had ramen together and that was so nice, but I know that if the other girls and my sister would have been available, they would have been happy to join us, and I am happy that he has more friends, but it was nice to have some time alone together. Oh my, what I am saying, this is so embarrassing," Hinata continued in a dreamy tone, her face starting to redden.

It was a big contrast seeing her act like a shy girl talking about the boy that she liked while the two bullies were down on the ground crying from the pain.

"That is what I was expecting from a Hyūga," said the older brother of the leader.

"Big brother?" asked the leader of the group.

"Do you really believe that I care for your reasons? You are just a disgrace who bullies others. I only came here to test myself against a Hyūga, but if she was so weak as to lose against your pathetic friends that would have meant this would have been a waste of my time, but this one looks strong," said the Genin as he got ready.

"What should I do? I am running late for my meeting with Naruto-kun," continued Hinata, ignoring the Genin.

"I see that you are not taking me seriously, let's see if I can change that."

After saying that he jumped and began to attack her, but Hinata kept avoiding him as she talked about her love life.

"I really hope that Naruto and I end up on the same team. That would be great as we could go on missions together for days, sleeping under the stars, being together all the time. It would be like a dream come true,"

The Genin for his part was getting mad at seeing that an academy student was looking down on his attacks. Then after losing his cool, he began to make some hand signs.

"Let's see what you do about this!"

Before he could finish his signs, Hinata in the blink of an eye was right in from of him and grabbing his fingers as she squeezed them hard.

"AGRRR!"

"I was playing nice because they are idiots and you just said that you wanted a challenge, but this is too much. By the way, using hand signs in a Taijutsu match is a bad idea because that leaves your defense wide open. Next time try to put a little more distance between you and your enemy before you try to use any jutsu, and take this as a reminder."

After Hinata said that she kneed him in the pit of the stomach, making him fall over onto his back right in front of his little brother the leader of the bullies.

When the bully saw what happened to his friends and brother, he did what all bullies do when the odds turn against them; he turned away and tried to escape, but when he turned around Hinata was already in front of him.

He was scared, this is not how it should have ended; he was sure that with his brother here she would not have a chance, but now she was looking at him while smiling in a way that was scarring him.

"I hope that this is the last time that we meet under these circumstances; after all we will be Genin soon and this is not the way that Konoha Genin should act toward one another," said Hinata in a sweet voice that scared him even more so that he could only nod.

"By the way I want to ask you one more thing," said Hinata. "Do you think that Naruto-kun and I look like a good couple?"

The bully was confused but saw this as an opportunity to escape this without harm.

"Yes, you look like you are meant to be together," said the boy trying to disguise his fear.

"Really? Thank you and I also have something for you," said Hinata as she kicked him in the family jewels.

"This is my gift, a reminder that being a bully is a bad idea. Now if you'll excuse me, I am running late for my appointment with Naruto-kun," after she said that she turned around and left, not caring about the boy who was now in pain and regretting the idea of trying to bully her.

"That girl is fierce; whoever the boy is that ends with her will be a lucky son of a bitch," said the Genin who was still on the ground recovering.

What they didn't know was that the whole thing was observed by a group of ANBU. Ever since the Hokage and council learned that Naruto had the Mokuton, they made sure that he would be protected and this time he made sure that the ANBU did their jobs.

This particular group was just relieved after their shift was over and were on their way to the village from the Uzumaki Mask Temple that now served as Naruto's home.

"That was an interesting show," said one of them.

"That girl is beginning to act more like Akane-sama as time goes on," said her partner.

"Yes, don't remind me; I wonder what will happen in the future now that she has begun to act more like her mother?"

"Don't know, but I will make sure to stay on her good side."

"Yeah, me too."

A little later Hinata arrived at Naruto's home. She was the first one to arrive because they all had things to do, but they all agreed to come here to begin their preparation not only for the final test that would be the following week, but also for their final field trip that would be tomorrow.

On another road, Hanabi was also heading towards Naruto's home. Normally she would go with her sister, but today she had something very important to buy. When Hinata heard this she offered to go with her, but Hanabi told her that wasn't necessary, that she could go to see Naruto first, something that she did.

It is not that she doesn't want to spend time with her sister; on any other day she would be very happy to do just that, but not today. After all, today was a very special day for her.

Today she was going to pick up the new volume of the Icha Icha series, and she'd already reserved her copy. How could an academy student reserve a copy of that book? Suffice it to say that her Henge technique was very good for her age.

It had been a year since she found those books and since then, a wonderful world was opened before her eyes. More importantly her innocent mind now believed that she may have a chance to be with Naruto and her sister forever.

When she began to read the book that night she was confused; after all she was expecting a book about jutsu, techniques, battle tactics, or shinobi philosophy. Instead she found a story, but not just any story; one that talked about how two sisters fell in love with the same man and after many challenges and dangers they decided that instead of forcing him to choose one and make the other unhappy, they would share him and live like a big happy family. That was only the first volume; the second one told the adventures they faced, how they overcame the difficulties from the people who did not approve of their choice. Also, how other girls ended up joining their family.

For Hanabi it was like seeing what was happening in her life in that moment; maybe that was way she was so fond of these books.

Of course, she also became a fan of those kinds of books, but her favorites are still the ones of Jiraiya, and that was the reason she was a little late today.

Those books also gave her hope that maybe, somehow she will manage to convince her sister to share Naruto, because even if they aren't in an official relationship she had seen how her sister turned from her sweet and kind demeanor to someone frightening when some others girls tried to get close to him. They were probably girls trying to get close to him on the orders of their parents on the council, but they never got past her sister.

That was something good for her goals, but now she needed to think of a plan to make it happen; after all it wasn't like she could come out and ask 'Onē-sama, do you want to share your boyfriend with me?'

That alone was an issue, but the real problem was that she couldn't talk with anyone about this; they would simply tell her that she needed to move on and find a good boy on her own, but that was impossible. Finding another boy like Naruto who had all the elements she could only find in a romance book such as the tragic past, the hard working personality and so being so handsome, that was never going to happen.

That is why she needed to persevere; she would be like the younger sister from the two-moon sister story from Jiraiya-sama's book.

She only needed to find a way to make that story happen in reality.

For now, all that she wanted was to spend the day with her sister and Naruto. Speeding the last part of the way she could see them already talking in front of Naruto's home.

With a big smile, she greeted them.

"Naruto, Onē-sama!"

"Hello Hanabi," said Naruto with Hinata smiling at her direction.

When Hanabi got closer, she could see what they were doing.

"Oh, my goodness, this tea table is so pretty," said Hanabi as she took a better look.

"It is a gift for Akane-sama, for all that she has done for me," said Naruto.

Naruto still remembered how Akane told him that night that he could earn money by using his Mokuton to create furniture. He wasn't sure at first, but he gave it a try; using a Henge to look like an older man, he sold a table he created after seeing a similar one in a magazine gifted to him by Akane.

The wooden furniture made by the Mokuton seemed to be of an excellent quality; they were well received and thus Naruto was well paid, and that allowed him to get good things of his own, like equipment, ninja tools and scrolls, especially advanced ones like the ones used to learn Fūinjutsu.

"I am sure mother will love it," said Hinata.

"Really? I hope so. By the way, if you ever want specific furniture just tell me and it will be my pleasure to make it for you."

"Then one day I will take you up on that," answered Hanabi.

"What are you doing?" they heard a voice from behind them, when they turned they saw Ino and Yakumo greeting them.

"Nothing, just talking about the present that Naruto's said he will give us," said Hanabi.

"Really?" said both Ino and Yakumo.

Over the last year, just like Hinata and Hanabi, Ino and Yakumo had changed for the better.

In Yakumo's case, the once sickly girl who was about to abandon her dream of becoming a shinobi now had a strong body which allowed her to be one of the best students the academy had seen in a long time, especially for her desire to always push her limits.

Ino on her part also changed, and not only her personality. She moved from being a fan girl to a girl who was working to be a real shinobi, but her body also changed. Before she was a skinny girl who dieted to attract the attention of a boy, but after Naruto told them that they were ready for the serious training, she and the others ended up attacking the food when they finished the day of training.

She could still remember how she and Hinata ended up in a little battle to see who could eat more ramen; it was something spontaneous and even if she lost, she was determined to win eventually. She never had this much fun before because her other two friends, Shikamaru and Chōji, would remain sitting under a tree eating potato chips while they looked at the clouds if they could, and that was fine once in a while, but not every single day.

Sakura, she preferred to not think about her anymore.

As a consequence of her new training and eating properly, she had developed some good muscles that highlighted her body, the same as Hinata, Hanabi and Yakumo, but because she was the skinniest the changes were more evident.

"By the way, here are the seeds that you wanted," said Ino as she handed Naruto a small package.

"Thanks a lot, Ino-chan," said Naruto as he received them never seeing the small blush on Ino's face.

They were just seeds, but they were from exceedingly rare plants and trees that Naruto could made grow with his Mokuton. Thanks to her family's business she could easily get those seeds.

"With this I will be able to make more stuff and get more money," said Naruto.

"You know, with the money that you are earning with the furniture that you create, you could live an easy life if you wanted to," said Yakumo.

"But where is the fun in that?" answered Naruto. "By the way, are you ready for tomorrow's field trip?"

All the girls replied by showing him their left hands where he could see a small mark that looked like a small mole.

"Always have a set of your equipment ready in case of an emergency," said the girls at the same time, like it was something that they had heard a lot.

"I see that you have improved your use of fūinjutsu," said Naruto.

"Yes, even my dad was impressed when he saw me get my gear ready in my room. He said that only Chūnin begin to learn about fūinjutsu, and even then few are actually any good at it," said Ino.

"Our parents felt the same way," said Hinata and Hanabi.

"Mine too. That makes me wonder how you got so good at Fūinjutsu?" asked Yakumo.

"Do not forget the Kage Bunshin," added Ino.

Ever since they began to train seriously with him after the night he told them his secrets, Naruto had proven to be an excellent teacher. The speed and level they were learning with him was much better than that of the academy.

Naruto even taught them how to use the Kage Bunshin and now each girl could do two of them. When Naruto told them the little trick behind that jutsu and how it could be used the girls were surprised because they could have their clones learning different things while they trained their real bodies, and of course one of the things that Naruto had taught them about was Fūinjutsu and Iryō Ninjutsu.

"I am just giving you pointers; you are the ones who are fast learners," was Naruto's reply. "Anyway, I just hope that we get in the same group."

With that said they began to prepare for the training field trip that will mark the end of their academy days, with the final exam a couple days after.

The next day.

"Now everyone listen to me," said Iruka as he stopped in front of a group of Chūnin. We will divide the class into groups of five people who will be under the guidance of a Chūnin. The teams have already been selected, as well as your team leaders. Now each one of you will be leaving as soon as you hear your team.

With that all the students began to be called until there were only ten people in the room, on one side Naruto and the girls, and on the other side Sasuke, Sakura and three random Uchiha boys.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other's with cold eyes, it was no secret that they didn't like each other. Naruto at least tried to be polite because he respected both Itachi and Mikoto, but Sasuke had a big attitude problem and he didn't like him.

Sasuke for his part wanted nothing more than to show the village and the family that ignored him that he was superior to that moron, and even if he managed to take away one of his friends and made her one of his followers, he wasn't happy that it was that stupid fan girl.

"Ok, now Sasuke, Sakura, Kai, Shin and Sano you are with me, the rest of you will go with Mizuki," said Iruka.

The reason for this choice was simple, with Sasuke being the younger brother of the next Hokage it was only natural that the lead teacher would be in charge of his group, and because it was evident that neither Naruto or Sasuke liked each other it would be for the best if they aren't in the same group. Considering that no one outside the council was informed about Naruto's new power, that choice was evident.

With that said Iruka left the classroom, followed by the students he had called.

Sasuke give a final dark look at Naruto before leaving the room.

"What is that idiot's problem?" asked Ino. Ever since her experience with him she began to see him for what he really was.

"Just ignore him," said Yakumo.

"You don't have to worry about this, by the way where is your equipment?" asked Mizuki in a friendly way.

"We have them in some Fūinjutsu, that way it's easier to carry them," answered Hanabi.

"Really? You really are the best students of the class, now I will tell you that in order to avoid unnecessary intervention from others each team was assigned to a different area," said Mizuki. "We are going to a field that is close to a training area; it is a little apart from the others, but that ensures us that we won't be bothered by anyone."

With that Mizuki left the room with Naruto and the girls following him towards their destination.

It was a long walk that took them to the border of the security perimeter of the village. When Mizuki gave the order to make camp and assigned the tasks to pitch the tents, look for food and water, as if it was a normal camp. Naruto could have provided a cabin without trouble, but he didn't want to reveal his Mokuton.

Naruto and the girls did the tasks they were assigned, and soon all the work was done and the camp was ready; all this happened while Mizuki supervised and assessed them.

Later that night, they were sitting in front of the campfire talking about many things, but then Naruto felt a change in the air, and he stand up looking at the far side of the field.

"It's about damn time," said Mizuki as he stood up as well.

"What is going on?" asked Hinata as she stood up as well along with the other girls.

"There are many people, shinobi by their chakra signature, heading this way," said Naruto as he turned to Mizuki remembering what he just said. "You know them?"

"Of course I know them; after all, I was the one who told them that we would be here,"

"Sensei?" asked Hanabi.

"Stop calling me that! Do you know how much I hate being with stupid brats like you all day for all this time?! Now you are my ticket to the winner's circle! Once Orochimaru-sama sees that I gave him such fine specimens for his experiments he will made me his second in command!"

"You are a traitor!" said Yakumo as she pointed her kunai toward him.

"How can I be a traitor if I was never on your side?"

In that moment two ANBU jumped in between Mizuki and the kids.

"I knew that you have some guards; after all, the Mokuton is too valuable for this village," – Mizuki.

"How do you know about that!?" asked an ANBU with purple hair and a katana.

"That doesn't matter; besides, you have others things to worry about," – Mizuki.

At that moment around 50 shinobi began to walk from the shadows of the trees; they were heavy outnumbered.

"Don't think that we will make things easy for you; once the battle begins all the shinobi in the area will come here," said the purple haired ANBU.

"About that…"-Mizuki.

BOOOOOOM!

They could hear a big explosion in the distance.

"That explosion just happened in the other side of the village, and now all the shinobi in the area are heading toward that direction." Said Mizuki with a dark smile.

"Why are you doing this?" finally asked Naruto. To be honest he never liked that teacher, but he had to respect his position in the academy.

"Because I hate you and this village, and nothing will made me happier than destroying this village and its people!" – Mizuki.

"Then why involve them if you want me?" –Naruto.

"They are a bonus; two Hyūga, a Yamanaka and the special power of that Kurama clan girl! Oh, I can already imagine their screams of pain when Orochimaru-sama begins to cut them up to study their bodies!"

"You are a sick monster!" Said Naruto.

"One monster recognizes another; by the way girls do you want to know a little secret?" – Mizuki.

"If you are talking about the Kyūbi save your breath; we have known for a long time and we do not care." – Hinata.

"Naruto-kun is right, you are the only monster here!" – Hanabi.

"Now that we know you are a traitor, we don't have to pretend to respect you; you are the worst teacher that we've ever had." – Yakumo.

"If you think that we will follow you without a fight you are stupider than you look."- Ino.

"We will see; we have wasted enough time, GET THEM!" –Mizuki

With that all the shinobi charged towards them.

One of the ANBU got ready to fight as he charged toward the enemies while the other stayed to face Mizuki, but before he had the chance to end him another group of enemies came to help him.

"Let's do this, try to support the ANBU as we fight, that is out best option! Battle formation 1A!" said Naruto as he and the girls made the Kage Bunshin hand signs.

While Naruto made around twenty of them, the girls only did two each, but that would be enough for now.

Ino stayed in the center with her two clones at her sides, while the original took her kunai and got ready to the fight her two clones began to make the hand signs for her clan jutsu, when they were ready, they used it.

"Shintenshin no Jutsu!" said both clones as they used their attack while the real body stayed on guard.

Ever since she began to train with Naruto and the others, Ino also began to take her training in her clan arts more seriously, so when she was training in front of Naruto and the others, Naruto asked her what would happen if the enemy managed to attack her real body while she is using her jutsu. Ino told him that she could die, and that is the reason why she depended on her teammates at those times.

After hearing this Naruto told her that while trust in their teammates is something good, she also needed to find a way to defend herself in case the situation become too dangerous. When Ino asked him about what she could do, he offered to teach her the Kage Bunshin, that way she could have the clones do the jutsu while the real one stayed alert.

When the other girls heard that Naruto would teach Ino that jutsu they asked him to teach them as well, something which he did, and each girl adapted the technique to her own use.

One moment after Ino's clones used that technique, two enemy shinobi that were in the backside of the attackers began to throw their kunai at the allies in front of them.

"KURI! YOKO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" said one of the enemies who managed to avoid the attack.

"You shouldn't be bad guys and attack us," said both shinobi in unison.

From her side Ino saw how her clones executed their plan, and as expected they managed to take them by surprise and kill a few of them.

Ino decided long ago that she would become a great shinobi and would not look back; she would walk forward in the company of her friends as they followed Naruto, who had become their guiding light.

Soon the enemies that her clones controlled were killed by their own companions, and her clones moved to look for other targets.

Yakumo took some storage scrolls and released their contents; it was a painting, but this painting depicted a volcanic land with magma running over the entire landscape.

When she activated her clan skill, the enemies that were heading in their directions stopped when they saw they were about to step over a river of magma. They knew it was an illusion, but before they had the chance to a dispel the illusion a few well-placed kunai ended their lives.

Hinata and Hanabi knew that with their bodies' sizes they would need to get closer to the enemies in order to use their Jūken. Following the advice of Naruto they would use the clones to make an opening, and they would target the head or the heart to make sure that they killed them with a single strike before moving onto the next enemy.

Thanks to the training that they received from their mother and the practice that they had with Naruto when he attacked them with many of his clones, they are somewhat familiar with facing many targets at the same time, but this time the targets are real and are after their lives. They would do what they had been training to do; there was no way that they would allow that their stories to end here in this way.

With their clones providing an opening Hinata and Hanabi began to take down one enemy after another.

Naruto had a couple of clones in position, ready to help the girls in case they needed it. However, so far, they were doing well.

Naruto began to direct his clones using water jutsu, earth jutsu, and some wind jutsu, but mostly using the taijutsu that he had been practicing with the old Chen Rōshi.

So far, it looked like they would make it; they could do this, they could win this battle, but the moment that Naruto thought that something changed in the battle.

"These useless idiots," said an enemy shinobi wearing glasses behind a mask and silver hair. By the looks of things, he seemed to be the leader. "It seems that the plan is not working as expected, but that just goes to show how impressive Naruto and the girls really are. Now the time for games is over," in that moment he began to make hand sings and when he was done, everything changed.

Soon all the enemies stopped as they raised their hands towards their heads and began to scream in pain as dark marks began to cover their bodies and they changed into some kind of dark-skinned monsters.

"What the hell?" said one of the ANBU who until this moment was having an easy time facing Mizuki and his men, but now these monsters were something different, turning this into a very hard fight.

The ANBU was not the only one as his partner, Naruto, and the girls began to feel the increase in their enemies' strength making the battle more difficult.

"Something is happening to these guys!" said Yakumo as one of her clones was destroyed by an enemy.

"I know, what are these markings?!" asked Ino after she lost a clone.

"We need to regroup," said Hinata with Hanabi following her.

The group of enemies in front of them took a deep breath and they knew what that meant.

"They are going to use a fire jutsu," said Ino.

Naruto made use of his earth element to create an earth wall that stopped the attack, but those shinobi/monsters began to jump over the wall.

Naruto's clone jumped to intercept them, but they were too many, and soon his clones began to be taken down one by one.

The situation began to turn for the worse.

Soon they began to surround them. The ANBU with the purple hair also joined them, she had been killing them with her sword, but now things are getting out of hand.

Normally she would have already taken Naruto and escaped, even if the boy resisted her mission was to protect him, but with the two daughters of her captain she knew that she couldn't leave them.

Before she had the time to think of another plan, the leader of the group who was looking from the distance made a new series of hand signs and soon the result could be heard.

**BOOOOM**!

Every single one of the shinobi/monsters exploded at the same time taking everyone by surprise.

"What that hell?!" the person that said this was Mizuki who was in excruciating pain on the ground after he got caught in the explosion. He remained behind the monsters that were fighting against the ANBU enjoying the show, but when they exploded not only did they hurt and leave the ANBU unconscious, but he was also caught in the explosion as well.

"What is the meaning of this?! This wasn't part of the deal!"

"Fool, did you really believed that Orochimaru-sama would accept a pathetic loser like you? You were only a pawn, and a useless one. You couldn't even capture a group of kids; what a loser," said the leader with silver hair.

"What did you do?" asked Naruto as he struggled to stand up. Like the others, the explosion took him by surprise and he is now injured, but the worse part was that when he turned around to see the girls, he saw them also on the ground and hurt, he could even see them bleeding.

He didn't need to hear his answer after that because now he doesn't care; he would put an end to this and help his friends, one way or another.

Ignoring the pain that he was feeling, somehow, he managed to stand up and turn to face the silver-haired man who was walking towards him with four shinobi, but these were different from the others who just exploded. They just look rare. Hell, one even had four arms.

But that didn't matter, he needed to stop them. When he tried to cast his chakra the injuries in his body and the fatigue that he had ignored began to exact their price, and with a painful expression on his face he put a knee on the ground.

"Naruto-kun!" said the girls when they saw him in pain.

"You said that this boy was special, hell, even this useless fat pig is more impressive!" said the only girl in the group.

"Oh, shut up or I will do it for you!" said the fat man.

"Just try it!" was her answer.

"You two cut it out, we had orders; we will take them with us," said the silver-haired man in mask.

Naruto for his part stood with the last of his energy, scared not for him, but for what could happen to the girls. "Hey Kurama, a little help here would really be appreciated."

"_You need my help for enemies of this level? What that hell have you been training for?_" asked Kurama.

"It is not my fault that they made the other guys explode," answered Naruto.

"_If you'd killed them all when you had the chance none of this would be happening; I hope you learn from this experience,_" said Kurama.

"Can you save the lecture for when we are safe?" said Naruto.

"_They are not easy enemies; the level of chakra that I need to give you in order to survive will hurt you,_" said Kurama.

"Do we have any other options?" said Naruto.

"_No, but I do not want to hear your complaints after this,_" as Kurama began to pour his chakra into Naruto's body.

"GRRRRRAAAAAAA!" screamed Naruto as red chakra began to form around his body.

The enemies who were getting closer stopped, getting worried about what they saw.

"_Remember to focus!_" said Kurama as he was getting worried that his chakra could hurt Naruto.

"What that hell is happening? What is that gaki doing?" asked the man with four arms.

"He is trying to use the Kyūbi's chakra, but he is too young to control it. This is bad; the other shinobi will feel this power and come here, we need to take him now," said the silver-haired one.

The red chakra that covered Naruto began to change and golden parts began to cover his body. (It looked like the chakra cloak).

Turning to see the enemies once more, in the blink of an eye he was right in front of them and punching the fat man in the stomach, sending him flying backwards.

"You damn brat!" said the red-haired woman who tried to take out a flute, but before she has the chance to use it, she receive a kick in her face.

"Amazing!" thought the girls from their position.

"Not bad gaki, but now your luck has run out," said the man with four arms, but this time the silver-haired one put a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to leave."

"Why? We can take that brat!" was the answer.

"All the shinobi in this village must have felt his chakra, and taking him down will take more time."

"Orochimaru-sama will not be pleased by this," said a pale purple-haired man.

"Maybe not, but the one who will carry the blame is that fool over there," said the silver-haired man as he pointed to Mizuki.

"Wait! You can't do this to me. That wasn't part of the deal!"

"That deal wasn't with us," was the four-armed man's reply as he turned around to help the red-haired girl stand up.

"Listen well brat, this isn't over; one day we will come after you and your friends," said the silver-haired one.

"I will never allow that to happen," – Naruto.

Naruto never got to hear if they replied, as they disappeared into the shadows.

"Wait! You can't leave me here!" said Mizuki, who was still trying to stand up.

That noise only made Naruto remember that the one responsible for all this was still within his range.

"You! All this is your doing!"

"Stay away monster!"

But Naruto didn't hear him as he needed someone to release his frustration and Mizuki won the prize.

"TAKE THIS!" said Naruto as he began to beat him into the ground.

Some moments later a group of shinobi arrived, and for a moment they believe that the Kyūbi took control over Naruto and was attacking his comrades, but one of the ANBU, the purple-haired one, who had recovered the consciousness managed to explain to them what had just happened.

"Wait, that Chūnin is a traitor; he sold us out to Orochimaru. He was planning to give him the Mokuton," and so she began to retell the recent events.

While she was talking to the others, Naruto began to walk toward the girls.

"Please don't move; I will cure you in a moment," said Naruto. He didn't bother to ask if they were okay, because it was evident that they weren't and that only made him feel worse.

Using his chakra he began to heal them one by one. The girls looked at his appearance with that golden layer covering his body one moment, and the next it was gone, allowing them to see his body.

One by one he began to healed their injures. Even when a medic ninja came, he said that he would do it himself, and only when the last of them was cured did he allow himself to fall unconscious.

"Naruto-kun!" said the girls with worry.

"It is okay; he just used too much chakra, and now he needs to rest," said the medic ninja who Naruto stopped earlier.

The other shinobi came after they had taken Mizuki to his unexpected meeting with Hibiki while others took Naruto to the hospital with the girls close behind.

**Inside Naruto's mind.**

"You know, you may be my little brother but you coming to visit like this each time that someone beats you is kind of pathetic,"-Kurama.

"Hey, that is not my fault; how I was supposed to know that stupid teacher was a traitor?"-Naruto.

"That may not be possible, but being ready in case the worst happens is something that I have told you before,"-Kurama

Over time, the relationship between Naruto and Kurama had evolved to a one like an older brother and younger brother. That also included the right the big brother had to bother the little one.

"Seriously, even with all the advice and training that I have given you over the years, you couldn't deal with this level of trouble,"- Kurama joked about the situation.

"You will see! I will kick their asses next time!" said Naruto with energy, but then the memory of the girls getting injured came back to his mind.

"What is wrong?"-Kurama.

"The girls, they got hurt, and I couldn't save them."

"Since the moment that they chose to become ninja, they were meant to get hurt at one moment or another,"-Kurama

"I know, but this is different; those guys came after me."

"Do you think that they will care about that? They will help you even if you don't want it."

"I know, and it is very frustrating to know that there is nothing that I can do to stop it,"-Naruto.

"There is something you can do; it will not completely stop them from getting hurt, but in case of emergency they will always have extra help."

"What are you talking about?" asked an interested Naruto.

"Tell me, just how badly do you want to protect the girls?" Kurama asked Naruto with a funny grin on his face.

**Time skip. A couple days later.**

**Konoha council.**

"As you know a couple days ago, Orochimaru sent a group of his men to capture Naruto and get both the Mokuton and the Kyūbi," said the Hokage.

That caused many of those present to talk between themselves, but the Hokage took control of the meeting again.

"As you know we kept the information related to the Mokuton a secret; a secret that very few knew about and given the connection with Orochimaru, that only gives us one suspect."

"Danzō," said Itachi who was standing next to the Hokage.

"This is troublesome, but we already suspected that the traitorous Sannin is the one who implant the Sharingan and the cells from Hashirama," said Shikaku. "So, the possibility that he went to him for help is something that we had expected, but this confirms it."

"We can no longer take a passive position before this matter; they have been plotting to destroy us for the last year, and we need to put an end to this," said Fugaku.

"I am ordering a complete search in order to find any information about them," said the Hokage.

"Then what? Will you finally do what you should have done years ago?" asked Hiashi.

This level of hostility would never have happened before, but Hiruzen had no other option but to accept that his past mistakes were causing others to lose confidence in his skill to lead the village. The worst part was that he couldn't blame them, because he still remembered how the First Hokage told him about his battle with Madara. He loved Madara like a brother, but in order to protect the village he was willing to kill him. Yet he allowed his student who killed members of this village, and his former teammate who betrayed the shinobi of this village to both run away. He did not know how he could face his sensei when he was to meet him in the afterlife, and those two were still alive trying to destroy Konoha.

"No, this time I will show no mercy and I will do what is necessary to protect this village," was Sarutobi answer.

"What about Naruto and the girls? I hear that he wasn't alone when the attack happened," said Tsume.

"He suffered from chakra exhaustion, but he is fine; he even cured the girls after the battle so they are also fine," said Itachi.

"That leads us to another problem; now that Orochimaru is after Naruto, his life is in more danger than we can imagine, especially if Danzō is joining forces with him," said Chōza.

"You cannot forget that if they targeted the girls the last time it's possible for them to do it again in order to get to Naruto," said Shikaku.

"This is an unexpected situation, but we need to do something," said Chōza.

"Of course, we will; I refuse to allow my daughter to face that level of danger without any way to protect her," said Inoichi.

"The same comes from me, especially because my two daughters are in danger," said Hiashi.

"Unfortunately, we have a situation. There are five of them; that means that we can't put all of them on the same team. We will need to place them on at least two teams, and those teams will need special protection," said Shikaku.

Everyone knew that he was right, and having two teams under special protection would reduce the effectiveness of this generation. Besides, that would reduce the experience they could get that would allow them to become stronger in the future.

"I have an idea that can resolve this situation, but not everyone is going to like it," said Itachi.

"Really? And what ideas is that?" asked Hiruzen.

"About that…"

Naruto and the girls were taking a walk in the forest on their way toward Naruto's home, Naruto was just released from the hospital, and the girls could see that something was bothering him.

They knew that it was the events that happened, and to be honest they can't blame him because they feel the same. For their parts it bothers them that when they couldn't move Naruto had to fight alone to protect them, even when they had promised that they would always fight together. Despite their promise, in the end, they failed in their goal.

The girls were talking about this while they were in the hospital, and while they felt bad about this, they knew that Naruto would feel even worse, and for that reason they agreed that the first thing they needed to do was cheering him up.

So far Naruto had remained silent the entire time, and when they asked him if he needed anything he just give a small smile and said that he was okay.

Halfway to his home, he stopped for a moment and looked at them.

"Sorry that I was a little distracted, I was just thinking about something, but before I can make a decision, I need to know your opinions."

"About what?" asked Hinata a little worried about Naruto's serious face.

"I can't tell you here; it hast to be in my home."-Naruto.

The girls understood; they knew that they were being observed by ANBU. Given the recent events that was something to be expected, so they headed towards Naruto's home.

Once they arrived, they saw Naruto activate a privacy seal.

"I am sorry for ignoring you when we were walking, but I was having a talk with Kurama." The girls knew that he meant the Kyūbi, as over the last year Naruto had shared with them that he had the Kyūbi sealed inside him.

He even told them about his dreams when they began to ask where he learned all the things that he knew and was teaching them. He also relayed to them how Kurama told him that these dreams seem to be the proof that he was the reincarnation of the First Hokage and another man who had a close relationship with Kurama, and that was the reason why he was helping him.

The girls understood that they could no longer be surprised by anything that Naruto did, and agreed when Naruto asked them to keep that information a secret.

"Did he say something about the attack?" asked Hinata.

"He offered me a way to help you get stronger so you could have a better chance if you ever faced a situation like the one that we just suffered,"-Naruto.

"Really? How?" asked Ino, very interested to hear that idea.

"He said that I can place a mark on you that will allow you not only to control the natural chakra that you are learning how to use, but it will also allow you to connect to his power and allow you to use it,"-Naruto.

"Really! That is great!"- said an excited Hanabi.

"There is something wrong about this, isn't there?" asked Yakumo.

"All my life the village has treated me like a monster for something that I have no control over. They didn't take the time to get to know me; they just decided that I am a demon. If I give you this mark and the others learn what it does, you may end up receiving the same treatment that I receive from the village."

When the girls heard this the got silent for a moment until Hinata broke the silence.

"So what?" when Hinata said those words the other girls turned to see her, so she continued. "I'd rather be with the people who supported me for who I am rather than being worried about what strangers think. If they do not like my choice that is their problem, but I will not stop living my life in the way that I want with the people that I want."

"I agree with Onē-sama!" said Hanabi.

"You are my friends, and I do not have any intentions to lose any of you so I am in" said Yakumo.

"If you believe that I will allow you to leave me behind you are sorely mistaken," said Ino.

When Naruto saw the reaction of the girls, a little laugh came from his chest, attracting the attention of the girls.

"You know, Kurama told me that I have no right to make the choice for you, and that the least I can do is ask for your opinions; it would seem that old fox was right," again Naruto remained silent for a moment before he spoke again.

"It seems that he does not like to be called old. He also told me I need to tell you that this will bond us together for the rest of our lives, that once it is done it cannot be undone, and for that you need to be sure about your choice," said Naruto.

"I already gave you my answer,"- said Hinata with the others nodding their heads in support.

"Now how are you going to put that mark on us?" asked Hanabi.

"I don't know, I forgot to ask him that," said Naruto with the girls almost falling on their backs.

Then he had another little talk with Kurama, this time when he looked at the girls, he was blushing a little.

"What did he say?" asked Ino.

"He said that I need to bite you on the shoulder while I put a little of our chakra into the bite," said Naruto looking at the ground.

Hinata and the others also blushed a little, but they had already made a choice and they would not go back on their words.

Therefore, with great determination Hinata removed her coat and exposed her shoulder. Naruto knew what she meant, and stepping in front of her, looking into her pearly eyes one more time for confirmation, he received a nod from her. Naruto bit her shoulder, and he began to pour chakra into the bite which also had some of Kurama's chakra.

What neither Kurama nor Naruto realized was that part of the energy of the mask that allowed Naruto to remember his past lives also got mixed with their chakra, and got into Hinata.

Hinata for her part, couldn't describe what she was feeling. She was expecting to feel pain, after all it was a bite they were talking about, but after the initial contact what she felt wasn't pain, it was something else; pleasure, euphoria, ecstasy? She didn't know but she knew that she wanted more.

Naruto for his part was worried that Hinata may be feeling a lot of pain because she had begun to breathe hard. He wanted to stop, but Kurama told him that he couldn't until they were done. A minute later, Naruto released her after Kurama told him they were finished.

"Hinata, are you okay?" asked a worried Naruto. The way her face was blushing coupled with her heavy breathing made him believe that the experience was painful for her.

"Oh yeah, I mean yes, I am fine," was Hinata's answer.

"I didn't hurt you too much?" asked Naruto.

"No, I didn't feel pain; it was just the surprise to have chakra put into my body this way, that is all" said Hinata, who for a moment considered offering her other shoulder so he could mark her again.

"Okay, if you say that you are okay, then who's next?"- Naruto

He hadn't finish saying those words when Hanabi stood up and right in front of him with her shoulder exposed so he could mark her as well.

When Naruto marked her sister Hanabi had her Byakugan active and she could see it, how that beautiful golden chakra came from Naruto's body and went into her sister's body, invading her chakra network. That was something that she wanted to feel as well.

Hanabi came back to the reality when she felt Naruto's hand touches her arms; once again he seemed to ask for permission, something that she gave. Then it came, the same sensations that her sister felt a moment ago were now traveling through her body in the form of that beautiful golden chakra.

When Naruto was done, she almost regretted that it was over so soon.

The next one was Kurama, and just like Hinata and Hanabi the sensations were very intense for her as she felt his chakra bathe her body as if it was water. Oh yeah, tonight she would make a painting that expressed what she was feeling right now, and then burn it because she would die of embarrassment if anyone were to see it.

The last one was Ino, but that didn't mean what she felt was less intense than the others. This was a feeling she had never felt before; she didn't know how to explain it, but she was sure she wanted more, and by the looks on the other girls' faces she was sure they felt the same.

When he was done with Ino, Naruto offered to make them something to eat so they could recover from the experience.

Meanwhile, inside Naruto's mind, Kurama seemed to remember something.

"Did I tell him that that mark worked like a mate mark, and that means that he and the girls are now a pack? Well who cares, I never understood human mating habits anyway; besides, I get the feeling that whatever happens will be fun, and I certainly need entertainment."

* * *

**End of the chapter.**

This is the end of the chapter. I made it short because in the next day I was assigned to a project in my work that will leave me with no free time for September, and I wanted to update this fic before then.

Also, I will reveal some details because I want to hear your opinions before I choose the future plot lines of this story.

As you see Naruto gave the mate mark to the girls, but he did not know that it was a mate mark, so when the girls begin to act a little strange that will open many situations.

Also, as you saw part of the energy that allowed Naruto to remember his past lives are now into the girls; that means that the girls will also began to have dreams and remember their past lives, but that leaves me with a problem. If there were just Hinata and Hanabi, I would just make one be the reincarnation of Kanna and the other Mito. But I have plans to include more in the future.

However, with problems come opportunities, and I came up with two ideas that I wanted tell you so I can make a choice about the future of this story, and I want to hear your opinions and ask you for candidates, candidates for what you ask? Just hear this idea.

**Idea number 1.**

Hinata will be both the reincarnation of both Kanna and Mito, meaning that she is the one destined to be always by Naruto's side.

About the other girls I realize that in many anime series out there are many female characters who fail to end up with the main character of their respective series, and I know that many of the readers know at least one character who you believe deserved to end up with the main character instead of the "heroine."

So, the idea is to make the girls the reincarnations of those girls from the other series. Then Hanabi, Yakumo and Ino begin to remember their past lives, and remember how they do not end up with the boy that they loved, and promise that this time they will do whatever it takes so they can end up with the boy they love.

This will cause a competition with four (for the moment) very powerful girls that are competing for the same boy.

So, what I would ask of you of the names of candidate girls from other series. The rules for the nomination are.

They must be girls that failed to end up with the boy that they liked.

They must be strong girls; if they have a special power or skill, they need to be compatible with the ones used by the ninjas of Naruto´s universe.

You need to tell me which girl should be the reincarnation of which character.

**Idea number 2.**

This one is simpler. After they receive the mark, they begin to share the same dreams of Naruto which means that they will learn from Naruto's dreams directly. They will take the memories about the kind of women that Kanna and Mito were and follow their example in order to get closer to Naruto.

* * *

**I will wait all September until I get the opinion of the majority. Until then please send me your ideas.**

**Finally. An announcement for a new fic. Mainly to the people who also like Fate/stay night.**

I am a great fan of the Fate/stay night series, some time ago I found a fic written by A Dyslexic Writer, and it was a great story; sadly it was abandoned. Now a new writer is creating his own version. The name of the author is DieMongrel, and the name of the story is The Seventh Path, and it is a great story.

After reading these fics I came up with some ideas that I wanted to share with you in case that you wanted to read my version in the future.

First. I will change the standard plot line of those two fics, otherwise it will be the same as read the same story all over again.

Second. I will made use of Shirou, Sakura, Rin, Illya, Luvia, Rider and Saber.

Third. I will have another girl being born into the Hyūga clan, my reason for this is because I want to create a new story using new elements.

Four. I am thinking made that two of the girls been descendant of refugees and made that Luvia has the crystal release and Rin the ice release.

Five. In the version of DieMongrel, Sakura is a Nara, and that is a great choice and it fits her character very well, but because that idea was already used, I want to make Sakura reincarnate in another clan. I already had one in mind, but if you get an idea please send it to me.

Six. I am thinking maybe that Illya would be the Hyūga this time; my reason for this is that I have read many stories telling what she did to her grandfather when she learned the truth about what happened to her mother and father, and how her grandfather lied to her, so I already have many ideas about what she could do with the elders that support her grandfather.

Finally, I am still thinking where I should have Saber being reborn, any ideas?

Final note.

These are my recommendation for mangas and novels:

**Kochugunshikan Boukensha ni Naru**: This story has a manga and a novel. The plot line is about how a space marine in the middle of a war fell into a fantasy world.

**Reversed Parallel World's Messiah**: In another world, beautiful women are considered horrible and ugly women are considered beautiful, but one day a boy of this world arrive there, you can imagine what he will do. This story only has a novel.

**IsekaiTensei Soudouki**: This story has a novel and manga, while the art of the manga is not very good, the plot line is interesting. The souls of two men from Earth, help and guide a young boy, but they also cause him a lot of trouble.

**Do not forget to let me know if you are going to use either of the two ideas for a story, the Tsunade's clone or the fairly tail.**

**Also, do not forget to give your opinion about the future of this story.**

**Until the next update!**


	9. The Journey of Souls 09

**I want to thank PraetorXyn for being the Beta for this chapter. **

Hello. Here I am with another chapter.

First, I want to clear up some things that people have been asking me about my last chapter.

The two ideas that I shared with you in my last chapter — the one about using Tsunade's clone to add her to Naruto's harem, and the idea of the crossover between Naruto and Fairly Tail — are ideas is that **I WILL NOT WRITE**.

I just wanted to share the ideas in case anyone else could use them. If you choose to use these ideas, please tell me so I can follow the story.

About the little poll that I did on my last chapter. I will use the idea **number two**. The candidates that were suggested to use for the girls as their past lives were limited and only focused on one or two girls, leaving the others with no real option. Therefore, I will use the second option, because that will allow me to have a standard for all the girls.

**Now the chapter begins.**

It was late at night in the Hyūga compound, and Hinata was sleeping in her room. It had been a couple of days since she received Naruto's mark, and so far, everything seemed normal. The only difference from her ordinary routine was that Naruto told her that Kurama told them to rest for a couple of days in order to fully adapt to the new marks.

That was something to be expected, and in the first few days nothing happened, but that changed last night. She had a dream that she couldn't remember; she had those kind of dreams in the past, but for some reason she felt that this one was different, special.

Tonight, she was having the same dream, but unlike the last time, she could see it as clear as day.

She saw a small compound in the middle of a valley; the habitants seemed to be celebrating something. She didn't know why they were so happy, but she could see that all those celebrating seemed relieved, as if a great weight had just been lifted from their shoulders.

Nevertheless, more than anything she could see how a young woman seemed to be happy, and somehow, she knew why she was happy. The man that she loved, Ashura, had finally been acknowledged; all his hard work and determination had finally show its results.

For Hinata, this was strange, because for some reason she knew what she was thinking and feeling, she even knew her name was Kanna. Anyway, she felt happy for her.

Everything seemed to be perfect, but there was a big explosion in front of the compound, and everyone went to see what was happening.

It was a man, but not just any man; it was Ashura's older brother. Ashura and his father saw him and walked over to talk with him.

From her position she couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could tell by their body language that something very bad was about to happen.

Her fears become a reality when the older brother attacked his father and Ashura.

At first Ashura seemed to have the advantage, but then his brother created that terrible giant made of chakra and the battle become more intense. Things seemed to be turning for the worse when that giant sent Ashura flying backwards with one of its attacks.

NO! She had to help him. Looking around she saw that she wasn't the only one who thought that way, as the other people in the compound seemed to be ready to take action.

At that moment she and the others attacked that giant made of chakra, calling its attention. Ashura was safe at least for now, but now she and the others were in trouble as the attention of the first brother was now on them, and it seemed that he would not give them the chance to help Ashura a second time; he was getting ready to kill them all.

Ashura stopped his attack using the power he received from his father, but even that was not enough.

She and the others joined forces with Ashura's father and sent their charka to Ashura.

What happened next would be a scene that she remembered for the rest of her life as Ashura created his own giant, but this one was made of wood.

Facing his brother Ashura charged with all his power.

"**INDRA!"**

"**ASHURA!"**

Hinata woke up at the same moment that they crash against each other.

She was breathing hard, with the images still present in her mind.

"This dream, it is like the one that Naruto-kun told us about, but how this is possible?" Hinata asked herself.

The dream felt so real that she could still remember every detail.

"I wonder if this is what Naruto-kun feels each time that he has one of these dreams." Hinata said aloud. Then she began to remember something in particular. "Kanna," she saw how that woman was willing to face that monster in order to help her beloved.

That kind of love and dedication. That was the kind of woman she wanted to be.

What Hinata didn't know in that moment is that she wasn't the only one who had that dream, as Hanabi, Yakumo and Ino just had the same dream, feeling the same things that she felt and having arriveing at the same conclusions.

"I want to be as strong as Kanna," said Hinata, Hanabi, Ino and Yakumo at the same time, even if they were in different locations.

**The next morning.**

Today was the day that the teams would be assigned and there was a lot of tension between Hinata, Ino, Hanabi and Yakumo. Only two of them would be on the same team as Naruto, because they know that the teams were always made up of three members.

However, more importantly they knew that the girls who ended up on the same team as Naruto would have a big advantage, as they would spend more time with him.

Even with that knowledge, they had a fire inside them telling them keep moving forward, to never give up, and to fight for what they wanted.

They wanted to believe in these dreams they'd had in the last few days, and with a little help from the chakra that they received from Kyūbi, a small part of their instincts were waking up.

"I wonder what team we will end up on?" asked Hanabi.

"To be honest I have no idea about which team we will end up on," said Yakumo.

"I am worried that I will end up on the same team with Shikamaru and Chōji. Don't get me wrong, they are my friends and are good boys in their own way, but I don't feel as close with them as I feel with any of you," said Ino. The fact that she also looked at Naruto wasn't missed by any of the other girls.

"I am afraid that they will have sisters on the same team," said Hinata as she sat closer to Naruto.

Naruto for his part still believed they were talking about the teams, ignorant of the small competition that had just begun.

Before they could say anything else, a person that none of them liked interrupted.

"Maybe this time one of you will get lucky and be on my team," said Sasuke.

"I'll pass," said all the girls at the same time.

Ever since Sasuke began to train with that 'ANBU,' his attitude had taken a turn for the worse, something that some teachers could see, and for that reason they no longer made him spar with Naruto because they could see how that would make him even worse.

Nevertheless, with him being the new heir of the Uchiha clan and with his brother being the next Hokage, they didn´t dare report him for psychological evaluation.

They just hoped that time would fix his attitude.

However, they girls only needed one reason to stay away from him. They just didn't like the idiot.

Behind him, Ino could see Sakura. However, there was something off about her; she was no longer the same girl who at one point Ino had considered a friend. That day, when Ino tried to warn her about the real intentions of Sasuke, she failed. No that wasn't correct; she did warn her, but Sakura refused to listen to her, her image of her perfect love with Sasuke was too strong and in the end she refused to see the truth.

Now she seemed strange; she couldn't explain it, but there was something in her eyes that told Ino that something was wrong.

**Sakura POV.**

"_Why is he doing it again? Am I not enough for him?" _thought Sakura as he saw how Sasuke was once again trying to convince those girls to join him. _"They do not deserve you; they are too stupid, wanting to be with Naruto," _Sakura thought.

"_Even with all the hard work and sacrifice I put in to show you that I am your perfect girl, you still don't love me."_

**Flashback**

"Where are we going Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura as she followed him to an abandoned part of the forest.

"To meet someone who can help us," was Sasuke's only reply.

After a few more minutes. They managed to arrive at a clearing in the forest, but they were not alone as someone else was already there.

It was a cloaked figure who had a strange mask that gave her the impression that he was an ANBU. There was something off about his mask, but she didn't pay too much attention; after all, Sasuke was the brother of the future Hokage, so it was only natural that the ANBU paid him special attention.

"You are late and that is not funny; I am the one who is supposed to be late," the ANBU said.

"You also believe you are funny, something that you aren't, Tobi," was Sasuke's reply.

"Whatever, and who is she? Your lover?" asked the masked man.

For a moment that question made her happy because she genuinely believed that Sasuke would confirm that, showing that he had finally accepted her.

"No, she is just my follower," said Sasuke, breaking Sakura's hope.

"Whatever, if you bring her here that means that you want me to train her as well," Tobi said.

"I will show that loser that I will get the best followers," was Sasuke's only reply.

"What about the others?" Tobi said.

"The clan is still celebrating Itachi's announcement as the next Hokage; their families will keep them busy there, but they will come to the next session," Sasuke said.

"What about you?" Tobi said.

"I am not needed there," was Sasuke's only reply.

Tobi for his part smiled under his mask before he turned toward Sakura.

"Why are you here?" Tobi said.

"I just want to help Sasuke in any way I can," said Sakura, who was a little intimated by that mask.

"With your current level that will be impossible, maybe you should leave now before you get hurt," Tobi said.

"NO! I want to prove that I can help Sasuke-kun no matter what!" Sakura said.

"If that is your wish, but don't say I didn't give you the chance to leave, because I will not hold back," Tobi said.

That was how it began, and just as that Tobi man promised her, he didn't hold back, but she kept trying, all for the sake of showing Sasuke-kun that she deserved to be by his side.

In the next session, another boy also joined them with the training; he was a clansman from the Uchiha clan who also attend the academy with them.

Moreover, in every session Tobi showed them how brutal his training could be, but that didn't matter because this was just a test to show Sasuke that she was his ideal girl.

After some time, she realized that Sasuke began to talk less and less with her in each training session. In the end, he just gave an order and she and the other boy obeyed.

The only interesting thing that happened was Tobi telling her that she should also learn iryō ninjutsu so she could be more useful to Sasuke, something that she did, but one again, nothing changed between she and Sasuke.

"_Why can't see you me? I am right here, Sasuke-kun,"_ Sakura thought.

**End of POV**

Sasuke didn't like how these girls kept rejecting him; it wasn't that he was interested in them, but they were strong, and they could be useful tools to help him show this village that he was the most powerful shinobi of his generation, even better that his brother. However, more importantly, he just wanted to take them away from Naruto.

Before he had the chance to say anything else, Iruka entered and called the class to attention.

"Today is the day that you will know on which team you will be assigned. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in you ninja careers, however I hope that you will never forget the bonds that you made here with all your classmates, because even if you are not on the same team, you are all from this moment Konoha shinobi and never forget that as long as you all follow the Will of Fire your paths will cross again. Now the teams will as follow, team 1…" Iruka said.

One by one the teams were called and leaft with their new sensei, leaving less students with each call, until...

"Team Seven will be formed by Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Sai. Your new sensei will be Hatake Kakashi, he will be waiting for you on the roof," Iruka continued.

After Iruka called their names, Sasuke turned to see Naruto and his friends to give them one final glare before he left.

Naruto and the girls were waiting to be called in order to finally know how their teams would be formed when they saw how Iruka closed the notebook with the list of the new teams.

"HEY! Wait a minute, why didn't you call us?" asked Naruto.

"We are also missing one person to make two teams with the people left in this room," Hanabi said.

"That is because there will not be two new teams," said a voice from outside the window.

When they all turned to see who it was, they were surprised.

"Mikoto-sama?" asked Hinata.

"Hello Hinata-chan, everyone, but I believe that from this moment you will need to call me as team leader."

The surprise was evident on their faces as they remained silent. Finally after a few moments, it was Ino who asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"What is happening? I've never heard of genin teams of five people."

"That is correct, the genin teams are formed by three genin and their jounin instructor, but the ANBU teams on the other hand…" answered Mikoto.

"ANBU? But we just graduated?" asked Yakumo.

"Normally you would be correct, but on occasions when a genin shows special talents they are selected to begin a special training that will allow them to become special operatives in the future. Considering what happened with the Mizuki incident I believe that it is safe to admit that all of you meet for this requirement," Mikoto said.

"Even if we are five people?" asked Naruto.

"Normally we only select a couple of promising talents, but in this case we will make an exception. Now you need to go home and get some rest, because believe me you are going to need it, and present yourselves tomorrow at 08:00 in the training ground 43." with that said, Mikoto jumped out of the window.

"Do you know what this means?" said a happy Hanabi.

"Yes, we managed to remain together," answered Ino with a big smile, with Yakumo and Hinata doing the same.

However, they saw that Naruto had a serious face.

"What happened Naruto? Could it be that you are not happy to be with us on the same team?" asked Ino, pretending to look hurt.

"Oh no I am really happy, it is just that I get the feeling that we do not know the full story behind this arrangement," said Naruto as he looked to where Mikoto had just left.

**Later that night**

Mikoto was sitting in a private room of an exclusive restaurant; she was looking at the window as if she was waiting for someone, when that someone arrived.

"Thank you for coming," said Akane as she sat in front of Mikoto.

"There is no problem; in fact, I was expecting this meeting," said Mikoto.

"This situation has become too unreal," Akane said.

"I know, but under these circumstances we have no other choice," Mikoto said.

"I am surprised by Itachi's idea; I know it must be hard for him to suggest that a group of children get admitted to the ANBU, just like him,"Akane said.

"There is no other choice; with Danzō still out there and Orochimaru now learning the truth behind Naruto and the special talents of the girls, the only way to keep them safe without destroying their dreams for the future is to make sure that they are always close to some of a group of Konoha's elite," Mikoto said.

"But I want to know why you offered yourself for this?" Akane said.

"Because it is my turn. Back when Itachi joined the ANBU I knew what would happen, what he would have to face while still being a kid, but at that moment I did nothing. The situation with the clan was very hard; now all I want is to not only protect them as I should have done with Itachi and make sure that they can survive to meet their full potential. Besides, I owe you for always protecting my son, now I will protect your daughters," Mikoto said.

"I wonder what Kushina will say when she learns that you are her son's sensei?" asked Akane.

"The old Kushina that we knew woul be worried to no end," laughed Mikoto.

"But the old Kushina that we knew would never have left her son behind," said Akane.

"I just can't get rid of this feeling that there is something more about that story," Mikoto said.

"Any idea what could be?" Akane asked.

"No, and that is what worries me," Mikoto said.

"Do you think that we will see her again?" Akane asked.

"I am sure of that, but when that happens the only thing I can think about is what will happen with her son?" after Mikoto asked that the two friends remained in silence.

**Somewhere far away**

A red-haired woman was looking outside the window.

"Kushina-sensei?" asked a young girl, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, did you say something?" asked Kushina.

"No, it is that you seem very distracted in the last few days," said a girl with red hair.

"It's nothing, I am just a little tired and I really want to complete this little mission so we can focus on your training. Now go to your room and do not wake the others, they need to rest and be ready for anything tomorrow," said Kushina.

Her student looked at her one more time before she did as she was told.

However, Kushina for her part kept looking outside the window, in a certain direction, toward where Konoha was located as a big pressure increased in her heart.

"_By Kami, what have I done?" she thought._

**Hello. Here is the chapter 9.**

I know that it is a small chapter compared to my other chapters, but this one was a transition so I can move to the others part of the fic.

Now before the people begin to question, I will explain some things about this chapter.

About the girls remembering the same memories of Naruto.

The reason for that is that I only got suggestions for one or two girls and none for the others; that made it hard for me to plan the plotline with all the focus on only two of the girls. About the girls remembering the same memories as Naruto, there is a little surprise in that part, but you will have to wait and see.

The ANBU part. I got this idea from the last episodes of Naruto Shippuden, in the wedding saga. When Shikamaru had to look out for Sai, he made a team with two new characters; the girl said that she was recruited at the end of the academy because she had special skills.

About Mikoto being their team leader, can you imagine what would happen in the mind of a Sasuke that is been training by Tobi when he learns that his mom is now training Naruto?

About Kushina, you will have to wait and see.

If anyone wants to make his or her own version of this fic, feel free to do it.


End file.
